The Law of Love
by insignificantramblings
Summary: Dr. Ramsay has a final project for his senior law students, and Enjolras is not thrilled. Volunteering in a soup kitchen to "better understand the people"? The leader of the ABC Society thinks he understands everything until one chance encounter turns his life upside down. Enjolras/Éponine, modern AU.
1. Chapter 1: The Assignment

**me again. writing an AU modern E/E. had to.**

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"Studying the law makes you cynical. It hardens your soul."

The classroom had gone eerily silent. Dr. Ramsay smiled, coming to stand in front of his desk, hands clasped in front of him. He had been teaching the graduate level "Ethics of the Law" class at the Pantheon-Sorbonne University for nearly twenty years, and this had always been his favorite part. The students in front of him were preparing for graduation, and his final assignment would turn them upside down.

"As my students, however, I hope you will not go through this. I hope you will remember your humility, and your need to be human and emotional. You will each sign up for a personal meeting with me. We will discuss how to avoid this phenomenon." Dr. Ramsay finished mysteriously, his eyes flashing over the four rows of students.

In the second row sat a young aspiring lawyer by the name of Benjamin Enjolras. He had short blonde hair, blue eyes, and a general disposition of thoughtfulness. He was quiet in many classes, at least until something mildly controversial came up in conversation. Dr. Ramsay had never seen someone come alive quite like Enjolras, whose entire demeanor would shift in an instant. His charisma took him over; his eyes bright with power and commanding words. Dr. Ramsay knew that Enjolras had all the qualities to become a successful lawyer.

Dr. Ramsay tried his best not to play favorites, but it would happen occasionally. Sometimes he went years without finding a favorite, other years he had multiple. He knew the moment he heard Enjolras speak that he would be a personal favorite of his. This project, he hoped, would cement Enjolras as one of his brightest students.

"Class dismissed, see me in my office at your convenience to set up a meeting time." At that, the twenty students stood, gathering their books and supplies, eager to leave the dark room and enjoy the Paris sunshine. It was April, and with only one month remaining until graduation, the students were restless.

Enjolras packed his books slowly, moving his chair in to allow other students to pass him. When the room was empty, he stood up, swinging his bag over his shoulder. "Dr. Ramsay?"

"Yes, Enjolras?" At their first meeting nearly two years prior, Benjamin Enjolras had firmly told Dr. Ramsay that he detested his first name (a feeling that Dr. Ramsay was still confused about). Since that conversation, the professor had only ever addressed the student by his surname.

"I was wondering if I could set up my appointment with you?"

"Why don't you join me for coffee in the café, and we'll have the meeting now?" Dr. Ramsay prompted. He would never invite most of his students to dine with him, but Enjolras was an intellectual conversationalist.

"Sounds good, sir."

The pair exited the classroom, taking the short walk from the Law building outside to the café that sat on the side of the University. Café Musain was a dilapidated structure in comparison to the buildings surrounding it. To many of the students, it was below them. To Enjolras, it was his second home.

"The usual, blondie?" The barista called to Enjolras as he entered the café. He smiled crookedly, rolling his eyes slightly at the nickname.

"You come here often, then?" Dr. Ramsay said, amused by the familiarity his favorite student had with the barista. He had been under the impression that Enjolras did not enjoy the company of many, particularly women.

"Myself and my friends come here often," Enjolras said vaguely. In truth, he and his friends conducted secret meetings at the Café nearly every night of the week, discussing ways to better improve the government. Though it had been many years since France was under a monarchy, there were still ways to "revolutionize", so to speak, and Enjolras sought to seek those changes. They called themselves the ABC Society.

Enjolras walked to the front, ordering a cappuccino for his professor. The barista, Cosette, raised an eyebrow at him. Enjolras shrugged, leaning forward. "Some project for my ethics class," he said quietly.

"So you bring a University professor here, of all places?"

Enjolras rolled his eyes. At first, he had hated Cosette. Marius had strolled into the café nearly a year before, bursting with exclamations of love and devotion to some girl he had just met. Enjolras had been in the middle of a speech about the Occupy movement in the United States (something he suggested they try in Paris), and had not appreciated Marius's sudden declarations. After a few months, however, Enjolras realized that Cosette was not going away, and after realizing she was the same girl who worked in Musain during the days, he begrudgingly accepted their relationship.

"He wanted coffee, I wanted good coffee, so I brought him here."

"You know if the University ever caught wind of what we get up to…" Cosette warned, trailing off. About five months into their relationship, Marius had brought his girlfriend to a meeting. She was a political science major, and extremely intelligent, something that Enjolras caught onto immediately. She was the only girl in their society, and instead of distracting Marius (as Enjolras had expected) her presence encouraged him to work harder.

"I know." Enjolras said quietly, taking his change and dropping it in the tip jar. "It's not going to take long."

Cosette nodded, turning to wipe down the counter. In truth, many of the things that were discussed at Café Musain were highly illegal, and not things that Law, Medical and other students should be caught saying.

Enjolras brought the coffee to his professor and took a seat opposite him. "So, this project…" He started, trailing off. He had not seen another project listed in the syllabus, and with finals coming up, he wasn't sure how much time he could dedicate to something new.

"It's less a project, and more an exploration." Dr. Ramsay started, sipping his coffee. "Ah, that's delicious." He said approvingly. "Perhaps I should come here more often."

Enjolras gave him a strained smile.

"The exploration is one of human nature, something we don't explore too much of in law classes. You've noticed, I'm sure, that as you get further into your academic career, the more calculating and reserved the content becomes." Enjolras nodded, not sure of where his professor was going.

"I started about ten years ago, doing an experiment. A sort of charity, if you will. What are you passionate about, Enjolras?"

The student fell into contemplation. He was passionate about France, that was for certain, and all of her problems.

"France." He said simply. Dr. Ramsay's eyebrows rose.

"France?" He echoed. Enjolras nodded.

"What about France?"

"Everything… all the political issues, the social issues, the poverty..."

"If you could, Enjolras, would you be able to pick one?"

Pick one? Enjolras was concerned with everything to do with his country, and he wished to fight for everyone and everything. To pick one… would that not destroy the point?

"I guess…poverty." He said lamely, picking the last of the issues he had listed. Dr. Ramsay seemed satisfied, however, and pressed further.

"What is it specifically about poverty that gets you passionate?"

"That some people are so wealthy they have more money than they know what to do with, and others are starving and go days without meals." This was the root of Enjolras (and his society)'s cause: the imbalance between the classes.

"Good. Poverty is the perfect topic for this project." Dr. Ramsay said, smiling at his student. "You will, in essence, have to truly _see_ poverty. Not out of a textbook, not out of a case study, but in real life. You mention hunger? How about you volunteer at the soup kitchen for your project? You can see the real sufferings of those you describe; those who go days without food."

Enjolras was floored. He was a law student, after all, he had a lot of work to do. Not that he wasn't interested in seeing the plight of the people (indeed it was all he was interested in), it was just…he didn't have the time for this! Besides, he already knew all about the plights of the people, it was what he spoke about at every meeting of the ABC Society. He didn't need to go to a soup kitchen to know people were starving.

"Sir…I…"

"You're wondering how this has anything to do with your degree?" Enjolras nodded. "Well in short, it doesn't. But I think you'll find that you will get more out of this experience than you did in four years of school. We must not allow ourselves to be hardened by the law…we cannot forget that there are real people out there with real problems. The world is not a case, or a textbook, Enjolras. It is real, and it is hard, and there isn't a lot of good. I trust you'll get something valuable out of this."

And with that, Dr. Ramsay picked up his coffee, waved to Cosette, and left Enjolras alone at the table.

The blonde student sat in shock for several seconds before turning to Cosette. Her expression was questioning, and Enjolras jerked his head to get her to come and talk to him. She rolled her eyes, turning over her shoulder to announce that she was taking her break. She grabbed herself a black coffee, coming to sit across from Enjolras.

"What was all that about?"

Enjolras told Cosette about the project. At the end, she was smiling.

"I think this will be perfect for you."

Enjolras's eyebrows shot up his forehead. "How do you figure?"

"You're a great speaker, and a great leader, we all know that. You talk about all these issues that really matter, and yet sometimes you're talking about things you don't fully understand." Enjolras looked at her blankly. She sighed at his incomprehension. "How can you talk about the starving people when all you know are statistics? You've seen pictures, and maybe passed the occasional beggar, but now you have an opportunity to really _see_ the suffering. If anything, I think this will make you an even better speaker and leader of the ABC."

He hated to admit that she had a point.

"You know I'm right!" Cosette said triumphantly, a giddy smile adorning her face. "I must write down the date and time, I am right and Enjolras is wrong!"

Enjolras said nothing, and after a few seconds, Cosette's laughter died down. She stood, placing a hand on Enjolras's shoulder. "This is going to be good for you," she repeated. "It's not going to be hard, and I truly believe it's going to help with everything we do here after hours."

Enjolras nodded, looking up. He smiled slightly, before turning to pick up his coffee.

"You never know…" Cosette said, walking back to the cash register. "Something else might come out of this."

Enolras scoffed, finishing his coffee. He highly doubted that.

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**I like to call that little bit at the end FORESHADOWING. drop me a review? They're like the gas to my car. **


	2. Chapter 2: The First Day

**Thank you everyone for the follows and the favorites and the reviews! I like you snowflakes :)**

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"So, long story short, you have to volunteer at a soup kitchen to humanize yourself after all your law and clinical classes?" Combeferre summarized, leaning on his elbows over the Café Musain counter. Enjolras nodded curtly, simultaneously annoyed and impressed with his friend's ability to sum up a twenty-minute story into a single sentence. "That really doesn't sound that bad,"

"It's not going to be _bad_ it's just that Dr. Ramsay doesn't know what we get up to here during our meetings, you know? He doesn't get that I already understand the people." Enjolras said exasperatedly.

"Enjolras," Combeferre began gently. "You know, just because you are passionate about the people does not necessarily mean that you know them."

"Dammit, you were supposed to take my side, not Cosette's." Enjolras said, his frustration mounting.

"I realize you know what's going on, and I agree with you that you don't need to be in a soup kitchen to know that people are starving. But maybe…this could help you put a face to the suffering, you know? You'll actually be able to see real people's hardships."

"Again, just like Cosette."

"Well then, that's two against one, would you like to ask a few more people?"

Enjolras ignored the snide comment and followed the action. At the end of his questioning, however, everyone seemed to agree with Cosette and Combeferre that he was going to "get something" out of this project, and that it would make him even more passionate about the cause.

The leader of the ABC Society slumped into a chair, accepting the beer handed to him by Marius. "Chin up, Enj." Marius said, missing Enjolras's cringe at the nickname. "There's five weeks left in the semester. It's all going to be over soon."

"I guess you're right." Enjolras muttered, sipping the beer. He looked around the room where his friends were all talking and laughing amicably. There was one, however, that he did not recognize.

"Who's the kid with Courfeyrac?" Enjolras frowned, noticing the child for the first time. Marius shrugged slightly.

"I guess Courf was down near Notre Dame, and saw this kid robbing some older guy. The older guy happened to turn around and notice, and was going to call the police on the kid. You know Courf, he felt bad and grabbed the kid when the guy's back was turned."

Enjolras rolled his eyes good naturedly at his friend. Courfeyrac was the most charming and friendly person he had ever met, and this recent act of goodness did not surprise him in the least.

"Kid's name is Gavroche. Lives on the streets. He was abandoned by his family when he was a toddler."

Enjolras shook his head sadly, anger bubbling in his gut. Marius looked at him sideways, smiling slightly. "Does that piss you off?" He asked. Enjolras nodded.

"Good." Marius said soundly, taking another swig of his beer. Enjolras looked at him questioningly. "If one face of hardship has an effect on you, imagine what's going to happen when you start volunteering at that soup kitchen tomorrow."

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"Hi, uh, Enjol, I mean, Benjamin Enjolras, I'm here to volunteer."

"You're one of Dr. Ramsay's students, aren't you?" The old woman at the front desk of the soup kitchen asked with a knowing smile. Enjolras nodded, smiling slightly. "Well, we're going to need you to put this on," the woman handed him a waist apron. "You'll also need these," She handed him a pair of gloves and a hairnet.

"A hairnet?" Enjolras questioned. He had cut his hair sophomore year of law school, after realizing that curls were not especially professional.

The woman smiled. "It's the law, young man, shouldn't you know that?" She was teasing. Enjolras gave her a strained smile.

"When you get inside, ask John what you should do. He's going to be the one checking names right inside the door."

"Checking names?"

"Names of the people who come here. We can't let the whole of Paris in here. This is reserved for those who live within a certain radius of this establishment. We have their names down to be sure everyone is in the right place."

"What do you have to do to get your name down?" Enjolras asked, taking mental notes. Maybe his friends were right; he was already learning new things, and it had only been five minutes.

"Submit a tax return."

"What about the children?"

"It's up to their parents."

"What if they have none?" Enjolras was thinking of the boy, Gavroche, that had been in the café the night before.

"It's on a case by case basis."

"So if a child," Enjolras began, trying to keep his voice in check. "A child is starving and needs to eat. That child sees that this is a soup kitchen. They come in and want a meal, but if they're not on the list, they can't eat here?"

"That is how it works."

To say Enjolras was fuming would be a grave understatement.

"I don't make the rules." The woman said. "The government does, we just have to follow them."

Enjolras nodded, unsure of what to say. Not quite unsure, just unsure as to what would be socially acceptable to say. "Talk to John," the woman repeated, and Enjolras nodded again, turning on his heel to enter the eating area.

The room was vast, full of bench tables and seats. It was cleaner than he had expected. At one end stood a long table, full of dishes. Behind the table stood several workers, holding ladles, spooning food into the dishes of the poor. Enjolras walked past the rows of tables and approached the front.

"Excuse me, where could I find John?"

The man squinted at him, recognition dawning on his face. "I'm John. You're the law student, are you?"

"Yes, Enjolras."

"Put those on – " he indicated the hairnet and the gloves - "and come stand over here with me. I'll teach you the ropes today, and then tomorrow you can get started."

The day consisted of John teaching Enjolras everything he needed to know about handling food – how to know when it was time for a refill, how much to give to a person, and even the proper way to hold a spoon. By the end of the day, Enjolras was confident that he would be able to do the job with no issue the following day.

What he did not enjoy, however, was John's flippant disregard for the people who came to be served. John did not look anyone in the eyes, and he did not greet a single person. He acted as though the trays were floating of their own accord, and that no real human being was attached to it. About halfway through the day, Enjolras casually brought this up.

"So these people, it's pretty sad stuff to see on a daily basis."

"You get used to it." John said gruffly, dropping a spoonful of mashed potatoes onto a waiting tray. Enjolras grit his teeth.

"How do you get used to seeing such sufferings?" the law student asked, trying his best to keep his tone in check.

"Because it never goes away."

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At the end of the day, Enjolras was exhausted. He was not used to standing all day, and the emotional weight of the hardship he was witnessing was draining. John did not help either; he was in a constant state of gruffness, and his lack of passion was tiresome for Enjolras.

"Kid, we're going to give you a key. It's going to be your job to sweep the area back here and lock up, okay?" John tossed Enjolras a spare key on a lanyard. "We're heading out."

John and the other four wokers waved and turned their back on their newest volunteer, swapping ideas regarding which bar to go to that night. Enjolras sighed, pushing the key into his pocket and picking up the broom that was leaning against the back table. _One day down, five weeks to go. _

While Enjolras swept, he thought. He knew that he was not going to like John or the other workers. To them, this was not something to do to be helpful, it was something to get paid for. Enjolras had learned straight off the bat that John was paid for his work at the soup kitchen, and that the four other "volunteers" were considered "government workers". They didn't give a damn about the people, just about their paychecks.

Enjolras was so deep in thought, he almost missed the crash from the back room of the kitchen.

He nearly dropped the broom at the shock. Enjolras turned slowly toward the back, looking around for some sort of way to defend himself. All he found were pots and spoons. Perfect.

But who could it be, honestly? Was some sort of crazy criminal going to break into the soup kitchen? It was probably just an animal. Or a drunk person.

"Hello?" Enjolras called hesitantly, taking a slow step toward the back kitchen. He pushed the door open cautiously, peering around the corner to find the source of the noise. He saw something move out of the corner of his eye. Reaching around the door, Enjolras managed to find the light switch. He flicked it on, illuminating the room.

"Gavroche?" Enjolras said, surprised at the sight of the young boy from the previous day. The boy looked up, holding a piece of bread, his expression sheepish.

"How do ya know my name?" he asked harshly, clutching the food to his chest.

"I was at the café last night, with Courfeyrac."

Gavroche nodded in comprehension. "You work here?" He asked, nodding toward the front area of the soup kitchen. Enjolras shrugged.

"I don't work here, I volunteer here. It's for a class."

Gavroche said nothing, just looked down at his food again. Enjolras smiled and leaned against the counter.

"You know, you can eat that if you want."

Gavroche looked up again. "You don't mind?"

"Let's be clear, I'm not like those other workers. I actually care if you starve."

Gavroche said nothing, just slowly bit into his bread, seeming to relish in the taste. "Do you want anything else?" Enjolras asked.

An hour later, the law student and the child were sitting at a table sharing mashed potatoes, bread and hot chocolate. Gavroche was telling Enjolras stories about the streets, and the mischief that he and his friends got up to on a daily basis.

"…took the doughnuts right from under that copper's nose. He worked for Javert, you know the police chief?" Enjolras nodded; he knew all about Javert. The chief was responsible for pushing many laws through the government that further oppressed the people. Enjolras was not a fan of Javert.

"So we took the doughnuts, which were great, by the way, and Javert comes after us, asking where we put them. Before I could even answer, my mate says 'not like you need them'! Get it, like he was making fun of the police chief's weight!"

Enjolras laughed along with Gavroche, though inside, his stomach was churning. This boy – he couldn't have been more than ten years old – had to steal from the police to _eat._ He had no family, he only had the other homeless children to keep him company.

"Gavroche, where do you sleep?"

The young boy shrugged. "Wherever we can find a place. It's usually under a bridge or something. We have to be careful though, because the police come around to kick us out. Wouldn't want us to scare the tourists, you know?"

"And you have no family?"

"I have some," Gavroche said, taking another bite of bread. "My parents didn't want me, but I have two sisters. Their names are Éponine and Azelma. 'Ponine is almost eighteen…I haven't seen Azelma in years, I'm not even sure if I know what she looks like."

"Do you see Éponine a lot?" Enjolras questioned, wondering what their relationship was like. Gavroche shrugged.

"She's gotta take care of herself. I see her probably once a week. I saw her yesterday, looking for a job."

"Where was she looking?"

"Well, 'Ponine never graduated from high school, so she's looking for wherever will take her. She still lives with our parents, and they don't really look after her too well. She practically lives on the streets. Most of the money she has she gives to me."

Enjolras frowned. "How does she survive?"

"Stealing mostly. I saw her a few times down by the docks, but she told me never to tell anyone that…you don't know her though so I 'spose it's fine."

Enjolras gulped. The docks, he knew, was where young women went to sell their bodies. If a young girl – younger than eighteen – had to do that to survive…Enjolras felt like he was going to be sick.

"Don't worry about it, it could be worse."

"How so?"

"I could be hungry."

Enjolras felt an unwilling lump rise in his throat as he considered the earnest young boy in front of him. All it took to appease him was food, something that Enjolras had never gone without, and had never considered such a precious commodity before.

"Do you sneak in here a lot?"

"My name isn't on the list." Gavroche grumbled, picking at the crumbs left on his plate. "So sometimes I sneak in and steal food, not a lot, just what I need."

"Tell you what." Enjolras said, taking the empty plates and putting them in the sink. "I'm going to be here for the next few weeks, closing up every night. Why don't you come here at the same time you got here tonight, and I'll make sure you eat, does that sound good?"

Gavroche's eyes widened. "Every night?"

Enjolras ignored the pang in his chest. "Yes, every night."

"So I can come tomorrow?"

Enjolras nodded. A smile spread across Gavroche's face. "Can I bring 'Ponine tomorrow? I think you'd like her. She likes to argue and you're a law student."

Enjolras laughed, leading Gavroche to the door, key in hand. "That sounds good, Gavroche. Bring her tomorrow and I'll make sure you both eat."

Gavroche smiled, tipping his hat to the law student. "I'll see you tomorrow!" he called, before running off into the night.

Enjolras called a goodbye, putting the key in the lock to close up the soup kitchen. It had only been a day, and he was already feeling better about this assignment.

Maybe his friends had been right.

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**woohoo chapter 2 :) I should be studying for my finals, so expect another update soon ;) **

**AGAIN. love you snowflakes! **

**-Brittany **


	3. Chapter 3: The First Meeting

**Hey kids! Took my first exam, looks like I'm going to still graduate from college a semester early (was getting a little worried about this operations test, but it's all done and I definitely passed so DRINKS ALL AROUND!) **

**Enjoy this chapter! Thank you all for the support/love for the first two installments! **

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Chapter 3: The First Meeting

"The fuck is wrong with Enjolras?" Grantaire asked, lifting a bottle of beer to his lips. This was the commonly asked question of the night; the blonde had come into the café nearly two hours earlier, and had not moved from his seat since. He seemed to be in deep contemplation, and had not spoken to anyone.

"Dunno, he had his first day at the soup kitchen today, though." Combeferre said, leaning on the bar of the café. He lifted his elbows as Cosette wiped the counter down with a dish towel.

"He probably doesn't want to admit that we were right." She suggested, dumping the crumbs from the counter into the trash.

"What were we right about?" Marius asked, joining the group. He leaned down, planting a kiss on Cosette's temple. He followed Grantaire and Combeferre's eyes to where Enjolras was seated. "Oh, him."

They all moved their gaze to the door at the sound of a key being placed in the lock. For precaution, they all waited until Cosette had closed the café for the night before all arriving for their meetings. Grantaire always bought a heavy supply of alcohol, and the other boys switched off on food duty. They all had keys to the café; Cosette had them made after she started working. It was technically illegal, but if anyone walked into the café unannounced, they would all be in bigger trouble.

Courfeyrac entered the café, holding a twelve pack of beer under his arm. He pulled the key out of the lock, pushing it into his pocket, closing the door behind him. "Evening," he greeted, nodding at his friends. Before he could get more than five steps into the room, however, Enjolras's head snapped up.

"Courf, come here, I need you."

Courfeyrac sent a questioning glance to the other boys and Cosette, who shrugged in response. Grataire muttered "the marble moves!", to which the others laughed, before turning back to their conversation.

"What's up?" Courfeyrac asked, sitting across from Enjolras and cracking open a beer.

Enjolras leaned forward, his elbows on the table. "I went to the soup kitchen today."

Courfeyrac took a sip of his beer. "And?"

"I have some complaints."

"Let me contain my shock." Courfeyrac deadpanned, rolling his eyes slightly. Enjolras scoffed.

"I am not that predictable." Courfeyrac said nothing, just motioned for him to continue. "Okay, so first of all, the other workers suck. They're not even volunteers, they don't give two shits about anyone there, and they're a bunch of uneducated idiots." Courfeyrac raised his eyebrows, still saying nothing.

"Second of all, it's sad, Courf, it's really sad to see. Like these people…how much pride do you have to lose to be forced to go to a soup kitchen and be served by a bunch of assholes who don't even notice you're there?"

"Tough times."

"It's not right." Enjolras said seriously, fidgeting with his fingers. "Third of all, Gavroche was there." Courfeyrac put down his beer, frowning slightly. "But he wasn't there during the day, because since he's on his own, he's not allowed to go. Does that make any sense at all? A kid who has no family isn't able to go to a soup kitchen! Isn't he the one that should be there the most? So he snuck in at night, scared the living shits out of me, and all he was trying to steal was bread. BREAD."

"What did you do?" Courfeyrac was trying to keep the emotion out of his voice. He had met Gavroche the night before, and already cared for the boy.

"I made him sit down and eat with me. We had mashed potatoes and some other food that was just going to go to waste. I told him to stop by every night to eat and that I'd make sure he was fed."

"That's…that's very admirable Enjolras, that's great."

"No, it's not great. It's ridiculous. This kind of thing should not happen. And even if people are starving – I think there will always be starving people – they should be able to access help. What is the good of help if it is not available for everyone?" Enjolras was practically shouting at this point, half standing from his chair.

"Hear, hear!" Grantiare cheered, holding his beer in Enjolras's direction. Enjolras frowned, and stood up from his seat.

"This isn't a joke, R, this is serious!" Enjolras repeated what he had told Courfeyrac to the group. At the end, all of them were frowning.

"Add that to the agenda." Enjolras commanded, to which Cosette pulled a small notebook from under the cash register. They kept a record of all the causes they had aims to improve, and kept it hidden away in the café. "I want to see what we can do about making sure this aid is accessible to everyone. You shouldn't need to be on any kind of list to get in, and children who live on the streets certainly should not be turned away."

Cosette wrote his words down, and replaced the notebook. Enjolras continued. "Gavroche has a sister as well, she's going to come with him tomorrow. I suppose I could ask her about her opinions on everything…"

"Gavroche has a sister?"

"He said her name is Éponine. She did not graduate from high school, and she's currently trying to find a job. He hinted that she had been involved in…less than modest means of attaining money. Hopefully she will come with him tomorrow."

"Hang on," Marius said, standing up and frowning. "Éponine? And the boy…oh well, yes that makes sense, she told…yes…"

"Would you care to share with the group, Marius?" Enjolras deadpanned, earning a laugh from his friends. Marius had the tendency of getting carried away in his own head.

"Ah, yes, sorry. Éponine? I know her. It makes sense now. I used to live next door to their family, and I thought Gavroche looked familiar. We were friends."

"Were?"

"That would be my fault." Cosette piped up, coming to stand in front of the counter. "You all know I was adopted, but it was actually Gavroche and Éponine's parents that I was taken from by my father. They had me in foster care."

"Why did you leave?" Combeferre asked. Cosette frowned.

"The Thenardiers…they're horrible people. They practically enslaved me, and treated their daughters like princesses. When I left though…I saw Éponine with Marius before he and I met, and she had been living on the street. Her parents were monsters. When Marius and I started dating, I mentioned my time with the family and he stopped speaking to her. You know, you really didn't have to." She chastised, giving him a patronizing look. He blushed slightly, kissing her cheek. It was clear they had had the conversation before.

"The Thenardiers…isn't the guy the leader of that gang? He just got arrested the other day?" Jehan asked, coming to join the group at the bar.

"The Patron-Minette. Nasty group." Courfeyrac said with a shudder. "They're into everything – drugs, prostitution, illegal exports…" He trailed off.

"Jesus, no wonder the kid and his sister didn't want to stay with them."

"They used to involve her in their jobs." Marius said quietly, twisting the neck of his beer bottle nervously. "I don't think I was supposed to know. She was small, and she wasn't that old, and they used her to…distract people while they did their jobs. I don't know many details. She certainly didn't have it easy."

The conversation further fueled Enjolras's anger. "She's looking for a job, I hope she's able to find one." He said shortly, making it clear their conversation about Éponine and her past was over. Enjolras did not even know the girl yet; he certainly did not want to pass judgment before meeting her.

The group was silenced, and Enjolras sat back down at his table, retreated into his own thoughts. At the bar, Grantaire shrugged at the other boys. "Maybe this chick is hot?" He suggested, letting out a cry of surprise when Jehan hit him on the arm.

"Even if she is, Enjolras won't notice."

* * *

"Good night, kid, have a good one." John called out as he and the other workers left the soup kitchen. It had been another long day of biting his tongue for Enjolras, who raised a middle finger to the retreating backs of his coworkers. He picked up the broom, sweeping the back area quickly, before turning a light on for Gavroche. And Éponine, he reminded himself.

After a few minutes, Enjolras heard the faint click of a door opening, followed by hushed voices. "I told you, it's fine." It was Gavroche, and he sounded like he was whining.

"I want you fed, Gav, but I don't want any shady deals, you got that?"

"I promise, it's fine."

Enjolras took this opportunity to step into view. His eyes first fell on Gavroche, who looked up at him with a grin. Behind him, standing no more than five feet, was a young woman. Her long, dark hair was cascading over her shoulders as she bent forward to talk to Gavroche, her dark eyes trailing from the floor, up to meet Enjolras's gaze. Her skin was dark from the sun, her lips open in faint surprise at his arrival. She was wearing a simple black skirt and white collared shirt; it was clear she had been on a job interview earlier.

She seemed to be surveying him as well, and Enjolras became painfully aware of how out of place his hair was, along with the ruffled state of his clothes. He was never one to concern himself too much in vanity, and without a second thought, he stepped forward and extended a hand. "I'm Enjolras, you must be Éponine."

She looked at him for almost ten seconds without response, before snapping out of her reverie and standing to her full height. "Yes, Éponine." She said slowly, placing her hand in his. "I know you."

Enjolras's brow furrowed as her hand fell out of his. "You do?"

"I used to be friends with Marius, and I saw the two of you together a few times." Éponine said, smiling slightly. "It's okay if you don't remember, I'm pretty easy to miss."

"I don't think that's – " Enjolras started, but Éponine was already wandering around the kitchen. Gavroche gave him a look, rolling his eyes to the ceiling, before grinning.

"Are you two hungry?" Enjolras questioned, to which Gavroche nodded enthusiastically. Enjolras cast his gaze to Éponine, who was standing near the oven. She gave a noncommittal shrug, which he took as a yes. He grabbed three plates, loading them with mashed potatoes, chicken and bread.

"Are we going to have mashed potatoes every night?" Gavroche questioned, poking at the white substance with his fork.

"Gav!" Éponine exclaimed, looking from her brother to Enjolras in horror. "I'm sorry, he's – "

"A boy, who probably wants some variety. I'll see what I can do tomorrow." Enjolras said, smiling at Gavroche. He nodded, digging into the potatoes anyway.

"How is the job hunt?" Enjolras asked Éponine, who looked down at Gavroche.

"Did you tell him our whole life story?" She asked exasperatedly. Gavroche said nothing, just laughed into his food. "It's going okay. It's hard to find something that pays enough."

"Are you living on your own?" Enjolras asked. Éponine shrugged, looking down.

"I live all over," she said nonchalantly. "Sometimes at home, sometimes with friends, sometimes with Gav." She ruffled his hair affectionately. "Someone has to look after this miscreant."

Enjolras smiled slightly, not missing the undertone: Éponine did not have a home to call her own.

"How is Marius?" Éponine asked carefully. Enjolras shrugged.

"He's the same old Marius. Still oblivious." Éponine laughed at this, her face turning slightly pink. Enjolras did not miss this either; clearly, Epoinine had some sort of feelings for Marius. He wondered if this had something to do with why they were no longer friends.

The meal passed too quickly for Enjolras's liking. Gavroche commanded most of the attention; he seemed to relish in the fact that his sister and a law student were sharing a meal with him, and listening to his stories attentively.

For much of the meal, Enjolras stared at Éponine. She did not seem to notice, and to this, Enjolras was grateful. He took in her appearance and her attitude with respect and amazement. From what he had heard from Marius and Cosette, Éponine had not had a very good life. She was only about eighteen years old, and yet, she had all the youthfulness of someone who had lived a much easier life than herself. Enjolras did not know how she did it. He knew if he dug deeper, he would find the traces of that life, and for some reason (that he didn't understand) he felt himself wanting to.

Éponine was considering Enjolras just as much as he was trying to read her. She took in his clothing and groomed appearance with envy. Gavroche had told her that Enjolras was a law student, so clearly he had money and was well-educated. He did not come off as such, however. Éponine had found that many people who were blessed with good fortune were rude and off putting to those they believed to be "below them". Enjolras seemed quite the opposite, and anyone who went out of their way for Gavroche was good in Éponine's book.

A little after nine, Enjolras stood up, taking their empty plates and depositing them in the wash. "I hate to cut this short, but I have a meeting I have to get to," he said, pushing his chair in and looking at Éponine and Gavroche in turn. "Will I see you two tomorrow night?"

Gavroche nodded enthusiastically, his head bobbing up and down. "Same time!" He said cheerfully, rubbing his full stomach. Éponine smiled, putting a hand on her brother's shoulder.

"I'll be here," she said, looking up to smile at Enjolras.

"Would I….would I be able to talk to you about some things in this soup kitchen?" Enjolras asked suddenly, fixing his blue eyes on her brown. Her eyebrows furrowed.

"You want to talk to me?"

"I have some…issues with how this establishment, and the government as a whole are run. I'd like to hear your opinion."

"Why do you want to talk to me, because I'm poor?" she asked bitterly, turning her gaze away from Enjolras. He shook his head, leaning forward and placing a hand on the table.

"No, because your opinion matters."

She stared at him, not saying anything. He smiled slightly, pushing himself off the table and following the pair to the door. As they left, Enjolras flicked off the light, pulling the door shut behind him. He took the key from his pocket, placing it in the lock.

"I'll see you tomorrow," Éponine said.

"I'll – " Enjolras turned to reply, but she was already gone.

* * *

**And they have met! What will happen next? Leave me a lovely review, will you? Love you all! – Brittany **


	4. Chapter 4: The Break In

**Hello friends! I'm officially done with my third year of college, and only have one semester left until I'm officially a graduate with a Business Management degree! Sorry this took a little longer; I had a few exams to take (these things happen). I hope no one missed the last chapter – it went up when email notifications weren't working. If not, onward!**

**PS SO MUCH LOVE FOR SleepingwithinWater WHO I LOVE A LOT AND WHOM I HAVE FALLEN INTO MUTUAL FANGIRLNESS WITH. IF YOU HAVEN'T CHECKED OUT HER STORIES, DO SO NOW...ESPECIALLY THE DIFFERENCE. AMAZING PLOT/IDEA/STORY! **

* * *

Chapter Four: The Break In

"Did you like him?"

Éponine looked down at her brother, startled by the question. She shrugged, reaching down to ruffle his hair. "He was alright, Gav."

"But did you _like _him?"

"What do you mean, do you think I'm in love with the guy?"

Gavroche did not answer, and Éponine rolled her eyes affectionately. Her little brother hated her ex boyfriend Montparnasse because of how badly he had treated his sister. Éponine had visited Gavroche many times with countless bruises, all of which she had brushed off as "being clumsy". Though Gavroche was not very old, he was not stupid; he knew Montparnasse was in the most notorious gang of Paris.

"I appreciate the thought, little brother, but it takes a little longer than an hour. You'll understand someday."

Gavroche scoffed, shaking his head. "I'm ten, 'Ponine, give me a break."

Éponine laughed, putting an arm around Gavroche's shoulders and squeezing affectionately. "You going to be okay tonight?" She asked seriously, glancing around the area where Gavroche usually lived. She had seen a few of his friends, other boys around the same age. They all slept in the same general area, usually spending their days scavenging for food. Éponine worried about him constantly, but as she was unable to keep a roof under her own head, she could hardly do it for Gavroche. He was honestly better off with his young friends than around some of the people Éponine spent her time with.

"I'll be fine, stop worrying about me."

"I always worry about you."

"Are YOU going to be okay?"

"I'm going to be fine." Éponine said, smiling vaguely. She did not know where she would go for the night, but she was sure it would be somewhere unpleasant. When she couldn't find a place to stay, she either went back to her parent's inn, or to Montparnasse's house. Neither of these options was ever safe, but it was a roof over her head. At least for a night.

"I'll see you tomorrow?" Gavroche asked, stopping suddenly. Éponine followed his line of vision down a small alley, where she could see a few of his friends waiting. She nodded in agreement.

"Tomorrow." She confirmed. He smiled a toothy grin and sped off down the alley, disappearing around the corner with his friends. Éponine sighed, running a hand through her hair. She had broken into a hotel to take a shower the previous night; she knew she would never be offered a job unless she was clean and presentable. After cleaning up and stealing a skirt and a shirt from a small shop, she felt confident enough to go on her interview.

The first two interviews had not gone well. Éponine had not graduated from high school, and there weren't many options for her. Some knew of her family and refused to even see her. Others were deterred by her education. Éponine was frustrated the most by this. A piece of paper, she knew, did not define her intelligence. She did not drop out of high school willingly; she did it because her father forced her to. She had to "earn her keep". Whether this meant helping him rob various houses, or selling her body to willing men, she had to do it, and a high school education did not fit into that lifestyle.

"EP!"

There was only one person who was so lazy that he called Éponine "Ep" and it was Montparnasse. Trying not to visibly cringe, Éponine turned around, finding herself face to face with her ex boyfriend.

Had Montparnasse not been the biggest asshole Éponine had ever met (aside from maybe her father), he would have been attractive. Indeed, to those who did not know about his criminal ways, he was boyishly handsome, with hair that fell endearingly across one eye. Éponine, however, saw right through the façade to the true man beneath.

"What do you want?"

"Feisty attitude, 'Ponine, what's wrong with you today?"

"Nothing, 'Parnasse, just wondering what you need."

"Help on a job."

"No."

"You want somewhere to sleep tonight?"

Éponine hesitated. There was always one thing that could be held over her head, and that was the promise of shelter for a night. As awful as Montparnasse was, he was no stranger, and she knew that even though she hated him, she would be okay for at least a night if she stayed with him. There was a bonus if he got drunk and fell asleep; in those cases, she could just go straight to bed and not have to sleep with him to "earn" her shelter.

"Yeah." She conceded, accepting a cigarette from the pack Montparnasse held out to her. She pulled a lighter out of her jacket pocket, clicking it several times before it lit. "What is it tonight?"

Twenty minutes later, Éponine, Montparnasse and Babet were standing on the outskirts of a Paris University, peering up at a darkened building. "I got word from a friend of a friend that the cash box is upstairs." Babet said, looking around for a way to climb to the top window.

"I saw some blonde chick close up about an hour ago," Montparnasse said, shrugging slightly. Éponine saw him finger his pocket, where she knew he kept his knife. "There's no one in there, the lights are off. Ep, you go in first."

"Why me?" Éponine asked, her eyes widening.

"You're the smallest one, you'll fit through the window. Has it been so long since you've been on a job that you forget how it goes?"

Éponine gnashed her teeth together, fighting the urge to punch Montparnasse in the stomach. She knew he was right.

"Climb through the window, unlock the door, and we'll handle it from there. This guy told us that the cash box is only emptied monthly, and it's supposed to be emptied tomorrow. That means it's full from an entire month, you got that?"

"I'm not stupid."

"Just climb in the fucking window."

Éponine growled, cursing under her breath. She accepted a leg up from Babet, moving to stand precariously on the ledge. It was only about four feet off the ground, but that was still high enough to get injured if she fell. She pulled on the window, ready to request a rock to break it, but was surprised to find it already unlocked. "Idiots." She mumbled, pushing the window open enough to squeeze through. She dangled one leg into the building, feeling for something to put her weight on. Upon resting her foot on what felt like a table, Éponine lifted the rest of her body through the window and into the building.

Unfortunately, the table was not nearly steady enough to support her weight, and Éponine went crashing to the floor, knocking over several items on her way down. She fell hard on her side, the unsteady table falling onto her opposite ribs. She groaned, rolling over, pushing the table off her body.

"Jesus fucking Christ, Ep, can you do anything right?"

Éponine did not answer, choosing to roll her eyes instead and rise shakily to her feet. She gingerly touched her ribs, wincing in pain. She might have cracked one or two, but she had suffered worse injuries before.

"I'm fine, thanks for asking." She said sarcastically. Montparnasse and Babet did not answer.

"Fuck!" She heard suddenly, and she looked to the window. She raised herself on her tiptoes, high enough to see both the men running from the building. The cause was soon clear: the room next to the one she was in must have been occupied, for a light had gone on.

"Shit." Éponine cursed, clutching her side and looking around the room for an exit. There was only one door, and the only other way out was through the window. Éponine had no idea how to get out.

She didn't have much time to dwell, however, because the door opened.

Without thinking, Éponine grabbed a piece of glass that had broken when she had fallen out of the window. It seemed to be the stem of a wine glass, and Éponine held it in front of herself warily. Hopefully, she would be able to knock out the person who was opening the door, and make a run for it.

The door opened, and a light was flicked on. Éponine closed her eyes involuntarily, holding a hand in front of her face.

"Éponine?"

Her heart stopped at the voice, and she cautiously opened her eyes to see Marius standing in the doorway, a golf club in his hand. He looked from the window, to the glass stem, back to Éponine. She, in turn, looked from Marius to the golf club in rapid succession.

Of all the reactions she was expecting, the least of all was for Marius to burst out laughing. He dropped the golf club and leaned against the doorframe, peals of hilarity leaving him in waves. Éponine cracked a hesitant smile, putting down her glass weapon cautiously.

"You – window…what did you think you were going to do with that?" Marius asked, gasping for air while pointing at the wine glass stem. Éponine shrugged, shuffling her feet.

"I don't know, defend myself."

"Was this a job?" Marius asked suddenly, traces of laughter gone from his face. Éponine nodded slowly. Marius exhaled, running a hand through his hair. "I thought you were done with that."

"A girl's gotta eat and sleep." Éponine said bitterly. Marius smiled slowly.

"I've missed you," he said, taking a hesitant step toward her. "I know we haven't spoken in awhile, but I hope you'll accept my apology."

"Why would you apologize? You have Cosette, right? And she didn't want us to be friends because of what my parents did to her. What I did to her. Right?" Éponine was angry, hurt and distressed. She had missed Marius. She had realized long ago that she had not been in love with Marius the _person_ but rather Marius the _idea. _Despite this, she missed his friendship. He was the only true friend she had ever had.

"Cosette had nothing to do with our friendship ending, it was entirely on me. Actually…she told me to apologize after we heard that Enjolras had met you."

"Enjolras?" Éponine had momentarily forgotten that the two were friends.

"Yes…" Marius said, hesitating slightly. "He's here…"

"In this building?" Éponine questioned, looking around the room as though she may have missed the presence of the blonde.

"Yes…we…well we have uh…secret meetings here sometimes."

"Secret meetings? Planning to overthrow the state?"

"In less violent terms."

Éponine blinked. She had been kidding.

"So that's why Enjolras wanted to talk to me…"

"About the soup kitchen? Yeah, it's been added to our agenda."

"You have an agenda?"

"We care about a lot of issues."

Éponine was impressed. She had known Marius for almost five years, and she had never heard him talk about issues like this. The last time she had talked to him, he was crazily in love with Cosette, and that was the only thing that occupied his time. Now it seemed he had found a higher calling.

"I've known Enjolras for a few years." Marius said. "I was coming to the meetings when I knew you, I just didn't tell you what was going on. Back then…they were more mild and less action-oriented. Now that we're older and some of us are about to graduate, it's getting more serious."

"I had seen you with him before," Éponine confirmed. "I just didn't realize there was a secret society involved."

"The ABC Society." Marius said, smiling broadly. "Has a nice ring to it, doesn't it?"

Éponine nodded. "Are there a lot of you?"

"Around twenty. Cosette is in it, she works in this café during the day and then lets us use the space at night."

"Does she ever sleep?"

"No, she was just talking about how she needs to find someone to take some of her shifts. It's her senior year coming up, and she's taking a few summer classes for her minor. Hey, wait! Didn't Enjolras say you were looking for a job?"

Éponine blanched. "I don't think Cosette will want me to work with her."

Marius waved her off. "Cosette has wanted us to make up for months now. She'll love to have you. The past is the past, 'Ponine. You can't do anything about it, and there are no hard feelings. I promise."

Before Éponine could respond, a voice cut her off. "Marius, what the hell is taking so long? I sent you up here over fifteen minutes – " It was Enjolras. He stopped when he arrived in the doorway, taking in the sight of Éponine. Marius smiled apologetically at the girl before pushing Enjolras out of the room and speaking to him quietly for a few moments. After, he came back into the room, jerking his head towards the door.

"Come downstairs," he said. "We just hit the end of a meeting. You can meet everyone and talk to Cosette about taking shifts during the day at the café. I'm sure you'll be good at making coffee."

Éponine shrugged slightly. "You never know, I might suck at it."

"Doubt it." Enjolras said, coming into view. "Grantaire figured it out once, I'm sure you can too."

Marius laughed, while Éponine looked confused. "When you meet him, you'll understand." He assured her. He walked past Enjolras toward the hallway. Éponine coughed, quickly frowning when the burst of breath hit her injured lungs.

"Are you alright?" Enjolras had noticed her discomfort.

"I think…I might have cracked a rib." Éponine said. "Don't worry," she said when she caught sight of Enjolras's concerned face. "I've had worse." She moved past him, ignoring the stabbing pain in her side.

Had Éponine not been so determined to escape Enjolras's concern, she would have heard his wistful comment.

"That's exactly what worries me."

* * *

**Oh god the Enjolras feelings. Leave me a little love in that box down there and I'll have a new one up in a few days! love, Brittany**


	5. Chapter 5: The Difference

**Hey guys! Sorry this took a few extra days – my family is moving to Florida, and I'm off to Pennsylvania for an internship so the last week has been crazy hectic packing up my house and getting ready to head off in different directions. **

**I had one review from Singmyangel suggesting that I make Éponine's character more fighty/nasty. I promise, I have a reason for her characterization! All shall be revealed (ominous music)…**

**Without further ado, chapter five (title inspired by sleepingwithinwater 's amazing story!)**

* * *

Chapter Five: The Difference

Enjolras followed Éponine out of the room back into the main area of Café Musain. He could not explain the knot in his stomach that had appeared after Éponine's comment. He knew her life was hard. He just didn't want to think about _how _hard.

_Get a grip. _He tried to tell himself. He could not understand why this girl had been able to get under his skin so easily. Enjolras was a passionate person; he was very well aware of this trait he possessed. What he couldn't understand is how a single person – not a cause, not a country – had begun to affect him so quickly.

"Are you coming? " Éponine's voice shook Enjolras out of his thoughts. He fought to put a small smile on his face, nodding slightly. He continued to follow her, Marius's shadow visible just ahead. All the lights had been off in the café; they had been viewing a short film that Combeferre had put together with short interviews of citizens around the city. The darkness of the café must have prompted Éponine's "friends" to think it was safe to break in.

A few seconds later, the lights were ablaze again, and Enjolras blinked to adjust his vision. They had finally reached the main room, and everyone was silent at the sight of their new arrival.

The silence was uncomfortable.

Enjolras stepped forward. "Everyone," he said confidently, putting a hand on Éponine's shoulder. "This is Éponine." The silence became more uncomfortable. They had all heard Marius's description of Éponine's life the previous night; they knew that she was connected to gang activity, and that she may have been a prostitute.

Enjolras plowed ahead. "She is a friend of mine, and you may be seeing her more often, so if you guys all want to introduce yourselves…"

The members of the ABC Society needed no further encouragement. Grantaire was the first to step forward, extending his beer-free hand to shake Éponine's. "Nice to meet you." He said, a sloppy grin adorning his face. "Grantaire, but you know, they call me the resident drunk."

"That's because you are the resident drunk." Enjolras mumbled, rolling his eyes slightly.

The others came forward in turn, all introducing themselves and shaking hands with Éponine (Joly slopped on hand sanitizer shortly after). Several moments later, Cosette stepped forward, a tentative smile on her face.

"Hi Éponine," she said quietly, holding out her hand to shake. Éponine took it, shaking it slowly.

"Hi Cosette." Éponine said, trying not to let her voice shake. As an adult, she understood the pain and neglect that Cosette had faced at the hand of Éponine's parents. She was lucky to leave; as soon as Cosette was gone, Éponine and Azelma faced even worse.

"I want you to know there's no hard feelings." Cosette said, putting a hand on Éponine's arm. Both girls vaguely heard Marius usher the other boys away to allow the two girls to talk. "Everything that happened, we were children, you only wanted to keep your lifestyle and your toys, and I know that. I may not have understand when I was a girl, but I do now." Cosette paused, letting the words sink in. "I think we're both adults and can get past it."

Éponine could not speak, and chose instead to just nod. Cosette smiled, glancing at Marius. "Now, Marius said you were looking for a job? Let me tell you that I could really use the help. Would you want to work here?"

Éponine nodded vigorously, looking around the café. It was clean, it was safe, and most of all, it was stable. "I would love it." Éponine said honestly, thankful that someone, especially someone that she had bad blood with, would give her the opportunity.

"Great!" Cosette said enthusiastically. "When can you start?"

"I can start tomorrow."

"I would love to have you work with me for the first couple weeks, just to get the hang of things, and then I'll have you start taking a couple shifts yourself. I do a lot of this myself, and if we could try to have it be both of us a majority of the time, that would be great."

"Do you own the café?"

"My father does. He bought a few businesses, and he was going to sell this land to the university to build another academic building, but I convinced him that a café would be fun. I go to college here too, and I knew that this would be a great place for students to hang out. It's small, and it's out of the way, but it gets enough business to stay open, and it's a way to pick up some extra money."

"It's also great if you want to house secret meetings at night." Marius interjected, moving to stand next to Cosette, placing a hand around her waist. Éponine felt the familiar stab of jealousy at the act. She had not spoken to Marius in months, but the feelings were still there.

"I heard they're planning to overthrow the state." Éponine said, to which Cosette nodded seriously.

"It's important stuff. Enjolras is really the heart and soul of this. I'm sure you've noticed he's…passionate."

"Some say crazy." Marius said, laughing.

Éponine laughed as well, glancing to her left at the blonde. He was locked in conversation with another man – Combeferre, if Éponine remembered correctly. He was handsome, that was for sure. Marius was boyishly attractive, with freckles and bright eyes. Enjolras was a different kind of good looking, with a strong jaw and furrowed eyebrows over deep blue eyes, showing his deep thought process.

"Handsome, isn't he?" Cosette said in an undertone, startling Éponine out of her staring. Marius had walked away, going to stand next to Enjolras.

"Enjolras?" Éponine questioned quietly, to which Cosette nodded.

"He's…he's okay." Éponine ended lamely. _Not as attractive as your boyfriend._

Cosette giggled lightly. "Maybe the two of you could…"

Éponine cut her off before she could finish. "No…no." Cosette shrugged.

"You never know."

"Where's the bathroom?" Éponine asked, desperate for an escape from the conversation. Cosette pointed down a small hallway behind the counter. Éponine followed her gesture, exiting the room. Cosette walked to join Marius, who was now talking to Enjolras.

"-I don't know what's happened."

"What happened with what?" Cosette asked Marius, looping an arm around his waist.

"Éponine. When we were friends a few months ago, she was a lot more… excitable. She defended herself really easily. She fought back against her father's people. She just…she didn't take any shit."

"And now?"

"The reason she was here tonight was because she was robbing the café with a couple men who work for her father. Éponine usually had a strong punch and biting words for those guys whenever they tried to involve her in something. She was usually strong enough to not need them…I don't know what's happened."

"Maybe you should ask her." Cosette suggested, to which Marius shook his head.

"I can't do that. We just started speaking again about twenty minutes ago. If something happened, she's not going to tell me."

"Maybe she'll tell me over the next few weeks." Cosette shrugged. "I think we'll be able to be good friends."

Enjolras said nothing, just listening to the two go back and forth. He intended to find out exactly why Éponine was different.

* * *

"Goodnight guys." Enjolras called, raising a hand in farewell. He, Cosette, Marius and Éponine were the only ones left in the café at the end of the night.

"We're going to head home." Marius said, indicating Cosette, who had fallen asleep leaning on the counter. The couple had moved in together after about six months of dating, into a small apartment around the corner from the university. They were extremely happy living together.

"Goodnight." Marius said, leaning in to hug a surprised Éponine. "I'm glad we can be friends again, 'Ponine, I've missed you."

"I've missed you too." Éponine said quietly, relishing the feeling of being near Marius again. "I'll see you tomorrow, though."

"Tomorrow." Marius said, nodding at Enjolras. He roused Cosette, who mumbled a sleepy apology to Enjolras and Éponine. The couple left the café, leaving the remaining two to close up for the night.

"What did you think?" Enjolras asked. Éponine shrugged.

"Your friends are nice."

Enjolras laughed. "They're your friends now too."

Éponine smiled broadly. She hadn't had real friends since Marius. "I like that." She said quietly. The smile suddenly dropped off her face. "You don't think they won't like me because of how I got in here? I mean, I was trying to _rob_ you."

"I don't think you really _wanted_ to, did you?"

Éponine shook her head. "I had to."

"Why?"

Éponine hesitated. Enjolras seemed nice enough, but she didn't want him to judge her because of things she had to do in order to survive. "I needed a place to sleep." She mumbled finally.

"How would robbing Café Musain get you a place to sleep?"

Éponine exhaled, closing her eyes slightly. "One of the men…he…I…"

Enjolras held up a hand, stopping her. "I get it." He said quietly, leaning against a table. "Éponine…where do you really live?"

"I told you…wherever I can find somewhere."

"So, nowhere, is what you're saying."

"Kind of."

"Listen…I have…I have plenty of room…would you…"

If Enjolras was uncomfortable, Éponine was mortified. "I don't need your pity." She said, a harsh edge to her voice. "I don't need you to feel sorry for me."

Enjolras sensed the spark that Marius had spoken of. It seemed that the "old" Éponine was not gone after all.

"I'm not pitying you. I don't want one of my friends to need to rob businesses, and then sleep with men, in order to have a place to sleep."

"Well, if we're friends." Éponine said begrudgingly, biting her lip. Enjolras's offer did sound inviting.

"Listen, how about this. Stay with me until you've gotten some money from your job here at Musain. Then we can figure out what to do from there."

"I can't pay you – "

"Lucky for you, until I graduate in five weeks, I'm still on my parent's good graces. Yes, I know it goes against everything I stand for." He answered her raised eyebrow and unasked question. "I caved. I needed an apartment. And it would absolutely make it all worth it if you shared it with me."

Éponine considered the offer. She did need a place to sleep.

"You're sure you don't mind?" Éponine asked, still hesitant.

"You can do one thing for me." Enjolras said, a small smile adorning his face. "You can talk to me about the soup kitchen. Maybe this ABC project…maybe we can work on it together?"

"You met me like…five hours ago." Éponine reminded him. How trusting could a person be? She had broken into his café, barged into his meeting, and now he was not only inviting her to live with him, but to work on a project for his society?

"I'm a good judge of character." Enjolras said firmly. Éponine nodded, still waging war internally. Should she move in with him, or not?

"At least spend the night tonight." Enjolras said, sensing her hesitation. "We can figure out a permanent thing tomorrow, okay?"

"That sounds fine." Éponine agreed, smiling at the blonde law student.

Enjolras grinned, jerking his head toward the door. "Ready to head home?"

_Home._ Éponine smiled, following Enjolras to the door. Home sounded wonderful.

* * *

**GAH. Enjolras. He's such a passionate person. Wonder when he'll figure out why he's so "passionate" about Éponine. :D love you all! xoxo Brittany **


	6. Chapter 6: The Apartment

**Hi everyone! Happy Memorial Day, first off. I start my new job tomorrow (COMMENCE FREAK OUT) so to unwind and keep my mind off of that, I decided to write a new chapter! Hope you all enjoy it!**

**side note - my knowledge of french politics is little to none (had to wikipedia if they had a president or a prime minister; turns out they have both!) so a lot of the political talk/concepts are AU/put in to fit my plot :) **

* * *

Chapter Six: Awkward

Éponine had been through a lot in her short life. She had been physically and mentally assaulted, she had been involved in jobs she didn't want to be, and she had even turned to sexually degrading jobs to earn money.

That being said, she had never felt as awkward as she did in the car with Enjolras.

There are some silences that are bearable, even comfortable. It is a mark of a true friendship in many cases when two people can spend time together not speaking. For two strangers, however, silence is never fun and always uncomfortable.

Éponine glanced at the silent radio. Did Enjolras not believe in music? Should she turn it on? She didn't want to overstep. After all, he was offering her his _home. _

"About this project." Enjolras said suddenly, making Éponine jump slightly. It had been silent for more than ten minutes. Paris traffic was unbearable, between the tourist busses and pedestrians walking in front of cars without warning.

"Yes?" Éponine questioned, turning her body to face him.

"I want to do a bit of an experiment. You know, see how easy it is to actually be allowed into the soup kitchen."

"I've tried before," Éponine said slowly. "I wasn't eighteen. Up until today, I didn't have a job, or a tax return, so I wouldn't have been able to."

"I want to send you in with a tax return and see if you're able to get your name on the list."

"I'm not going to have a tax return until I've worked at the café for a bit…" Éponine said slowly, trailing off in confusion. Wasn't Enjolras superbly intelligent? Shouldn't he know that?

"I'm going to send you in with a fake one."

Éponine's jaw dropped slightly. "You know, for a law student, you're suggesting something pretty illegal."

"You don't even know the half of it. We've done much worse."

Éponine didn't answer, torn between surprise and admiration. At first glance, Enjolras seemed like a by the book type of person. She supposed, though, it took someone who knew the law well to pull off something illegal.

"Do you remember meeting Feuilly tonight?" Enjolras questioned, to which Éponine nodded. "Well, he's the only one of us who isn't a student. He's an artist, and doesn't make a whole lot of money, but his skills come in very handy for us. We'll have him create a fake tax return for you and then we'll send you into the kitchen to try to get on the list."

"How is he going to do that?"

"Combination of regular art and photoshop. It will come out so realistic that no one will be the wiser. We'll give you a fake identity and everything." Éponine bit her lip. She was no stranger to fake names.

"What's the most illegal thing you've done?" Éponine blurted out. She couldn't help it; his earlier statement about having "done much worse" had piqued her curiosity.

Enjolras laughed. "Well, you know Marius is very good with computers and technology." Éponine nodded in affirmation. "He managed to hack into the President's email."

Éponine couldn't help the gasp that escaped her. Her father's gang was notorious for physical toughness, but they had never dabbled into electronic hacking like _that. _The thought that someone she knew – her friend, nonetheless – had hacked into the _President of France's_ email account was unnerving…and intriguing.

"What did you find?"

"We didn't find a lot. Some corruption, of course, it's practically expected to have corruption in government. Marius put a tracker on the email, though, so that certain keywords will trigger back to us. If there's ever anything big, we'll know."

Éponine stared at him, her eyes wide. The ABC Society was certainly not messing around.

"What do you think you'll find?" She asked, wondering what they were specifically looking for.

Enjolras shrugged. "I honestly don't care about things like sex scandals, or anything of the like. Those things don't really affect how France is run, to be honest. What we're looking for is evidence of the government taking money from the people, debt crises that are being covered up, shady trading, and things like that. Everyone knows that the rich get taxed less than the poor – it's common knowledge. We want to find the things that are being covered up, you know? Anything that the President has to make an effort to hide is worth knowing for us."

"What about the Prime Minister?"

"We had a bit of a difficult time getting into his email, but we have a trace set up on emails between the Prime Minister and the President."

Éponine let out a gust of breath, sitting back against her seat. Enjolras cast a sideways look at her, smiling slightly at her expression. "It's a bit overwhelming." He admitted.

"I'll say," Éponine laughed, staring out the windshield. The Eiffel Tower was just visible in the distance. "Why would you be concerned about the soup kitchen when you have all this other business going on?"

"There are bigger fish to fry than the soup kitchen." Enjolras admitted. "It's also a lot more difficult to try to change the entire government. By starting with smaller things that still _matter_ – like the soup kitchen – we'll be able to work out way up. I think people will appreciate having more access to the simple things in life, like food." He trailed off, sounding unsure for the first time.

"You sound uncertain." Éponine noted, turning to face him again.

"I just don't want to do the wrong thing. I don't want anyone to think that a law student – lawyer, soon – is coming in and trying to _save _them or anything. I don't want to take away anyone's pride. I want to help."

"People know that, Enjolras. And it's not like you're doing this on your own, either. You have other students in different fields, and men like Feuilly that aren't students at all."

"And you," Enjolras pointed out, casting his eyes to Éponine for a brief moment. She smiled.

"Yes, me too."

* * *

Enjolras's apartment was about twenty minutes away from the Café Musain by car. He lived in a second story walkup with a red door.

"Red is my favorite color." Enjolras offered as explanation, as he turned the key and pushed open the door.

The first room was an open space containing both the living room and the dining room. There was a small table set for two, and a single couch. The largest piece of furniture was the bookshelf; it took up most of the far wall.

"Do you like to read, or something?" Éponine teased, walking straight to the bookshelf. There were several law books, some political texts, and an abundance of classic novels. Éponine ran a finger across the spines, making a mental note to ask Enjolras later if she could borrow a few.

Down the hallway was the kitchen, which Enjolras admitted he rarely used. He ate lunch at the university, and usually had late night dinner at the café. The only frequently used device in the kitchen was the coffeemaker. Early morning, midday, and late night were all good times for coffee, according to Enjolras.

Past the kitchen was a single bathroom, which Enjolras and Éponine would have to share. Enjolras was slightly embarrassed by this; he had never had to share with anyone, let alone a woman; he had only a vague understanding of how women functioned. Éponine, on the other hand, had shared her bathroom with her parents, sister, and their guests for her entire life, and the prospect of only sharing with one other person was promising.

"Here's your room." Enjolras said, opening the door next to the bathroom. He hurried ahead of Éponine, picking up spare papers and fixing the pillows. "Grantaire has slept here a few times." He said, indicating the bed. "The sheets have been washed, I promise. There's a desk, too, if you need to write anything. The closet isn't too big, but if you need more room…"

"Enjolras!" Éponine said, cutting off his nervous ramblings. "It's perfect. Don't worry about anything."

"You're sure?" His tone was anxious. He had never housed anyone for longer than a single night before, and even that was usually Grantaire or Combeferre. He had never tried to impress them. Confusion again settled upon Enjolras as he questioned why he felt the need to impress Éponine.

"Positive." Éponine confirmed, smiling at the blonde. He relaxed slightly.

"My room is right here," he said, indicating the door across the hallway. "If you need anything."

Éponine nodded, thanking him again. "I think I'll go to sleep," she said, looking at the bed. "It's been a long day."

"Are your ribs okay?" Enjolras asked, concern lacing his voice. Éponine pressed her side lightly, feeling just a dull pain.

"I think they're just bruised. Looks like I'll live." She said, laughing slightly. Enjolras smiled.

"In that case, I'll see you in the morning?" He prompted, to which Éponine nodded.

"Sounds good. Goodnight, and thank you again for the room."

"Of course. Goodnight, Éponine."

* * *

Across town, Montparnasse was cringing, wincing with each yell that was directed at him. He and Babet had run back to the Thenardier's inn after the light at the café had turned on. They had not been concerned about Éponine; they knew she would find her way out. Upon returning, they were both surprised to see Thenardier himself at the inn; he had been arrested two days before, and the gang hadn't been able to secure the cash to get him out. The police had put a high bail on his head; he was, after all, the leader of the most dangerous gang in Paris.

"You left her there? The lights turned on, and you LEFT HER THERE?" Thenardier's concern, however, was not for the well being of his daughter, but for the security of his gang, and their mission. If Éponine was caught and forced to talk, she might mention Patron-Minette, Montparnasse, or Babet. "Who even fucking decided that this was a good idea?"

Montparnasse said nothing, glancing sideways at Babet. The other man heaved a sigh, before stepping forward slightly. "My idea."

"Did you really think that a café would make that much money, you imbecile? It's a coffee place at a college, for fuck's sake. They might have a thousand dollars up there, if you're lucky. Don't you think we have bigger and more important things to be doing?"

Babet and Montparnasse said nothing. Thenardier rolled his eyes. "You're both lucky you're good at what you do, otherwise you'd be out. We can't afford to fuck up."

"The police weren't around…" Montparnasse said, trailing off when he saw the look on Thenardier's face.

"The police will no longer be a problem for us." He said, a sick smile coming over his face. "You're both probably wondering why I'm not in jail." Babet and Montparnasse both nodded. "It seems the government is having a bit of a security issue. There's been some unauthorized hacking into government accounts. The police are at a dead end. They can't find the hackers over the internet, something about IP addresses being blocked." Thenardier waved his hands and rolled his eyes at the technical terms.

"They need people who can find out who's behind it without drawing attention to it. If the people of Paris knew that the government was being hacked, there would be chaos. No one would trust the President, and security would be gone. The police had no choice but to turn to us."

"So you…" Babet trailed off.

"I cut a deal with Javert. I stay free if we can find out who's responsible for the hacks within a month. If not, I'm back in prison. So, you better fucking find them."

* * *

**ALRIGHT! Bit shorter than the last one, but I thought it was a good stopping point. I'm literally going to have nothing to do every night after I have dinner, so expect a lot more updates! As always, thank you for the follows and reviews (and keep them coming!) xoxo Brittany**


	7. Chapter 7: The New Job

**HEY GUYS – thank you for all the response! **

**To DoubleA7: I literally laughed out loud "you made Marius useful to the group!" HAHA he never seems to be very helpful, does he? I still want to use him for ditz moments but yes, he is useful! **

**Singmyangel pointed out (which I'm glad!) that my French political knowledge is not correct – I don't know anything about French government (though I've been to Paris and know the layout of the city!) so any political happenings are probably AU/a USA thing/etc. **

**Jac Danvers: I see modern Javert as willing to work with criminals to cover the greater of two evils – like the PM gang will always be around no matter what, but the government hacking is new and dangerous and he wants it taken care of. You never know, though, he might double cross Thénardier…. **

**StarlitWave10: thank you! I'm glad you liked the connection ! I used to be a computer science major so I wanted to throw some of that in there! **

**And always a shout out to SleepingwithinWater (aka Jess) who is my Les Mis partner in crime! If you're not reading her stories I don't know what's wrong with you. **

**WITHOUT FURTHER ADO, CHAPTER 7 **

* * *

When Éponine woke the following morning, she spent a full sixty seconds in utter confusion. The room did not look familiar, and she was surrounded by books. She was warm, and comfortable, a feeling that she had not experienced in some time. There was a clicking sound emanating through the wall; it sounded like a coffee maker.

All at once, Éponine remembered: she was at Enjolras's apartment. She sat up quickly, looking around for a clock of some kind. She had to get to the café and start her new job with Cosette, and she certainly did not want to be late on the first day!

She scrambled around, throwing the covers off her body in a heap. She grabbed her clothes (unfortunately the same black skirt and white shirt she had been wearing the day before from her interviews) and hastily pulled them on her body, ignoring the wrinkles. After throwing her hair into a quick ponytail, Éponine pulled the door open, walking quickly down the hall to the kitchen.

Enjolras was there, leaning against the counter with a coffee mug in one hand and a newspaper in the other. He was wearing black gym shorts and a white tee shirt. Éponine screeched to a halt in the doorway, causing Enjolras to look up at her arrival. Éponine had to admit that she had never seen him look so relaxed and _normal._

"Good morning," he said, smiling crookedly. Éponine smiled hastily, looking around him at the clock on the microwave.

_Six am. _

"Shit." Éponine groaned, putting a hand to her forehead and rolling her eyes. She had told Cosette she would meet her at Café Musain at ten.

"Did I wake you?" Enjolras's easy smile fell, concern overtaking his features.

"No, no." Éponine assured him, smiling slightly. "I just thought I was going to be late to meet Cosette, I wasn't sure what time it was."

"I'm an early riser." Enjolras shrugged, sipping his coffee. "I like how quiet it is in the mornings."

"I usually am too," Éponine agreed, nodding as she leaned against the opposite counter. "But I was so comfortable last night I thought I lost track of time."

"Does that mean you're staying?" Enjolras asked, sounding slightly hopeful. Éponine pushed that observation to the back of her mind.

Éponine remembered their conversation from the previous night. Enjolras had asked her to stay with him until she had enough money of her own. She had politely declined, though finally conceded to stay one night and decide later.

"I don't know." Éponine said, though she already knew the answer. She had no intention of staying with Enjolras; she didn't want to feel like his charity case.

"Well, you know you're more than welcome to." Enjolras said. Éponine nodded gratefully. "Do you want coffee?" Enjolras indicated the pot next to him, which was full.

"I don't drink coffee."

Enjolras's mouth dropped open. "What?"

"I don't like it." Éponine said, laughing at his reaction. It was as if she had insulted his mother, or something equally inappropriate.

"How do you not like _coffee?_" Enjolras asked incredulously. "You know what, no." He said suddenly, waving his free hand through the air. "You don't not _like_ coffee, you just haven't learned _how_ to like coffee. I will teach you, don't worry."

Éponine burst into laughter. She shrugged, putting a hand on the counter to steady herself as she chuckled. "I do like tea," she said, hoping this would appease him.

"Doesn't count."

Éponine sighed, realizing this was not an argument she would win with Enjolras. Not that she thought she would win many; he seemed too stubborn.

"If you're not going to drink my coffee, will you at least eat my eggs?"

And that was how the law student and the girl from the street ended up sharing breakfast. Enjolras, as it turned out, could only make three things: grilled cheese, eggs and toast. He and Éponine decided to combine all three and made breakfast sandwiches, which tasted better than they looked (there was melted cheese _everywhere). _

"I have class at 9:30, would you mind getting to the café a half hour early?" Enjolras asked, wiping stray pieces of egg from the corner of his mouth. He picked up his coffee, downing the rest in a single gulp.

"Of course, whatever works for you." Éponine said, wondering why he would even ask. It was his apartment, and his car. It was all on his terms.

"Okay, good. So I was thinking, you're working with Cosette from like ten until later tonight?" Éponine nodded. "I have to go to the soup kitchen after class, so I'll be there from two til late. Could we talk to Feuilly tonight about the papers, and we'll talk some about the soup kitchen and policies then?"

"That sounds good." Éponine agreed. It was certainly going to be a long day.

"I know Cosette eats at the café every day, usually one of the sandwiches that are prepared for customers. It's all free since her father owns the place. I'm sure you'll be able to have lunch and dinner there as well."

Éponine nodded again, trying to process the information. She was going to have a paid job, and get free food. She felt lucky.

"And then, of course, if you want to, you can sleep here again tomorrow. I go into school most days at 9, and that's probably when you're going to have to start working. It would work out well." Enjolras said, the hopeful tone back in his voice.

"Why do you want me to stay here so badly?"

Enjolras shrugged, his face turning slightly pink. "Well, to start, I'm alone here all the time. It would be nice to have someone else around. I also don't want you to have to do anything illegal, degrading, or the like to have somewhere to sleep when I have an unused, perfectly good guest room. Plus, we're going to be working on the soup kitchen project, so it just makes sense for us to live together for the time being. When you have money from the café and my project is over, we could talk again."

"You seem like a more keep-to-yourself type." Éponine observed, trying to change the subject.

"You might have heard a couple of the guys refer to me as the 'marble statue' or something. I just… I get very passionate and involved with projects and it sometimes comes off as me being…unemotional. I'm not, though." Enjolras confessed, looking up to meet Éponine's eyes. "I've always been so concerned with a _whole_ group – like France, for example, that I often forget the individual."

"Have you ever had a girlfriend?" Éponine questioned slyly, enjoying the heat that filled Enjolras's face at the question.

"Ah, no."

"That's probably why they call you a statue, you know. Statues don't have girlfriends either."

"I don't know about that, I heard wild things about the statue of David and his weekend with the statue of Aphrodite…" Enjolras trailed off, grinning slightly. Éponine leaned forward, smacking him on the arm good-naturedly.

"Seriously."

"Okay, seriously, I just… haven't had time, you know? I'm so involved with so many things, and I do so much that I just never have thought to stop and think that I should date anyone. And most of the girls I've met are just…vapid. I don't have time to date _anyone_, let alone someone who I can't talk to."

Éponine nodded, smiling slightly. Enjolras even had a well thought out argument as to why he didn't have a girlfriend. "I get what you mean."

"I just…why does my life and soul or whatever matter when there's so much work to do?"

"You matter." Éponine said firmly, her eyebrows furrowed at his question. "It's not selfish to want someone to be with, Enjolras. In order to help others, you have to be happy first."

"Maslow's hierarchy of needs." Enjorlas muttered. Éponine looked at him questioningly. "It's a pyramid that this guy came up with saying that you first have to feel safe before you can have a relationship with another person, and so on and so forth."

"Well, Maslow has a point." Éponine said, eager to win an argument. "You have to be satisfied on a personal level, I think, before you can help others."

"Others need more help than I do."

"If you give too much of yourself to others, you'll have nothing left for yourself."

For once, Enjolras seemed speechless, seeming to grapple for a counter argument. When it seemed he was indeed at a loss, he sighed, glancing at his watch. "Are you ready to go?"

Éponine nodded, standing from the table. "Whenever you are."

* * *

"You're early!" Cosette said brightly as Éponine walked into Café Musain at 9:30. Éponine shrugged, walking to the counter and leaning against it.

"Enjolras had class."

"Right, Enjolras." Cosette said slyly, ignoring the eye roll from Éponine. "I detect something."

"There's nothing." Éponine said firmly. Cosette continued smiling, putting her hands up in defense.

"Whatever you say." Cosette said, concealing the fact that she had made a bet with Courfeyrac and Combeferre the previous night regarding Éponine and Enjolras.

"Well first, you have to change." Cosette said, eyeing the skirt Éponine was wearing. "Take these." She instructed, handing Éponine a pair of yoga pants and a shirt with "Café Musain" splashed across the front.

Éponine accepted the clothes, not aware that Cosette had gotten the pants on her own before she arrived at work in the morning. She knew Éponine had no money, and she certainly didn't want her to have to steal anything to work in. It was just easier for Cosette to buy her clothes, and pretend it was company policy.

After changing in the restroom, the two girls got down to work. Cosette showed Éponine how the coffee maker worked, and even wrote up a quick chart showing how much ground coffee to add to the machine for each cup of water. The expresso machine was next, and was only used for "specialty drinks". There was a latte machine that also made cappuccinos, and Cosette explained the difference between the two (after which Éponine was still confused). The food trays were next, and then the loose tea, which Cosette said wasn't a very popular seller (Éponine cursed Enjolras in her head).

Éponine learned everything between customers, helping Cosette the best she could. She learned how to add flavors to coffee, how to change out filters, and even how to clean up after a spill (Cosette had begun spewing profanities as hot coffee dripped onto her hand).

By seven, when the café closed, Éponine felt confident with the work. Cosette promised she could begin brewing coffee the next day. She handed Éponine another set of clothes after she locked the doors, so she "wouldn't have to wash the same set every day".

"The boys will be here soon," Cosette said, sitting at a table and handing Éponine a sandwich. "Let's have dinner quick, because they'll want coffee as soon as they get here."

Éponine accepted the sandwich, sitting across from Cosette at the table. They chatted while they ate, about everything from coffee, to work, to school, to boys.

"I think by next semester you'll be practically running this place!" Cosette exclaimed, smiling excitedly at the prospect. She stood, taking Éponine's empty plate and walking to the kitchen.

For the first time, Éponine allowed the smile to drop off her face. She exhaled, trying to release the tension in her shoulders.

As Marius had said, Éponine had changed drastically in the few months since he had seen her. She was quiet, reserved, and slow to rise to an argument. She had good reason.

Cosette had extreme faith in her, but with undue cause. Éponine would not be taking over in a few months time. She would slowly become unable to do the job, and in seven months, completely busy with something else. _Someone else. _

Éponine Thénardier was two months pregnant.

* * *

**PLOT TWIST. HAD TO. **

**Hope you guys enjoyed that…you'll understand soon what happened to Éponine and how she got pregnant (though some of you can probably guess already). **

**Side note… the way Enjolras is with coffee…that is me. I'm addicted, and if someone doesn't **_**like**_** coffee I'm like… what's wrong with you… **

**Again, hope you all enjoyed this one! Drop me some love! xoxo Brittany**


	8. Chapter 8: The Year

**Wow GUYS! First of all, I was completely FLOORED by the response to the last chapter! Some of you were on board with the pregnancy reveal, some of you were hesitant, some thought there should have been some foreshadowing (I was going for the SHOCK factor!) **

**To anyone who's concerned – I have a plan already for where the whole pregnancy thing is going, and it's going to tie in nicely with the PM gang trying to find the source of the government hacking! I'm really excited for about four chapters from now! **

**Without further ado – Chapter 8**

* * *

It was four days before Éponine met Enjolras that she realized she was pregnant.

It had come as a shock. She was in an office, waiting for a job interview. She had glanced at the calendar on the wall, noting the date. Several seconds later, however, her blood ran cold, and she hastily jumped to her feet, flipping the calendar back to the previous month, and then the one before that. It had been eight weeks since she had last had her period.

Éponine's heart had sunk, tears springing to her eyes. She couldn't be pregnant; she could barely take care of herself! Not to mention she had no money, no job, and no _home_ for Christ's sake. She couldn't bring a child into that mess.

At least it was recent. A year prior, Éponine had sunk to her lowest point, seeking work at the docks as a prostitute. It was one of the easiest ways for a young girl to make a living, especially one who cleaned up as well as Éponine did. She was pretty, she was young, and most of all, she was willing. Many of the girls in the brothels had been trafficked from various places – some from France, some from other countries. The sex trafficking trade was booming, with thousands of girls moving from their hometowns to brothels against their knowledge and will.

Éponine, however, had come on her own accord; she was at a dead end. She didn't know how to make any more money, and the scraps that she was able to get pickpocketing were not enough to sustain her, and more importantly, Gavroche. She had done the only thing she knew, and followed in the footsteps of many a desperate woman. She became a prostitute.

She sold her body for seven months, the light leaving her eyes a little more each day. The only ray of hope was Marius, the boy she had known for several years. She would see him sometimes during the days, vaguely telling him that she worked for a baker. He never asked where, for which she was grateful.

Marius gave Éponine the small hope that there was still some innocence and good left in the world. The men she served each day and night were disgusting creatures; some were even married. The police didn't shut down the sex trade because they were involved in it. Éponine felt there was hardly any _good_ left in all of Paris. Except for Marius, of course.

When Marius stopped speaking to her after he got more involved with Cosette, Éponine decided enough was enough, and left the sex trade. She got it into her head that _somehow _– and she didn't know how – Marius had found out about her being a prostitute. That had to be the reason why he was with Cosette and not with her, and that was the only explanation to why Marius would just stop talking to her.

Of course, deep down, Éponine knew it was because of Cosette's connection to her family, but she chose to believe that if she bettered herself, Marius would leave Cosette and be with Éponine.

After she left the brothel, Éponine searched for work. She had evaded her family for months; when she was working at the docks, she was given a small bed to sleep in. For once, she had a permanent home.

When she left, however, she had nowhere to go. She wasn't sure who she should try to stay with: her family, or Montparnasse. Neither were very good options.

She chose what she believed to be the lesser of two evils, and went to stay with Montparnasse. She thought there was a small part of him that cared for her, and she was right: he protected her and gave her a place to stay. The only thing he required in return was sex.

Éponine was used to this, of course, from the brothel, and was able to deliver what Montparnasse wanted. He would come home after a day of gang activity and would expect dinner, and then a willing Éponine to do whatever he wanted.

Two months before Éponine walked into the soup kitchen with Gavroche, something snapped inside her. She had left the brothel for two reasons: Marius was one, and the other was for the sake of her remaining dignity. No little girl, not even a Thénardier, grows up and wants to be a prostitute. She was sick of being pushed around, and she was sick of putting aside her pride to survive.

Éponine wasn't sure why she thought living with Montparnasse was going to be any different. She was still basically doing the same job as she had been in the brothel: giving sex in exchange for something else. At the brothel, it had been money. With Montparnasse, it was somewhere to live.

The night following her realization, Éponine told Montparnasse of her decision to leave. She told him that she wanted to make it on her own, and he had laughed in her face. Not only, he said, would she not be able to make it without him, she would have to either go back to the brothel, or start helping her father on jobs again. Neither of these options were acceptable to Éponine, but instead of admitting that Montparnasse was right, she walked out of his apartment, ready to start fresh.

She had no friends. The only person she cared for was Gavroche, and for almost a month, she stayed with him and his friends. She helped them survive by stealing food and money along with them, and acting as a sort of "mother" for them. She would divvy up the rations and take care of any of the children when they were sick. They were an independent bunch; many of them (like Gavroche) had been living on the street for a long time. Despite this, they accepted Éponine.

A month before Éponine met Enjolras, she began searching for a respectable job. She stole clothes from small stores in order to look presentable, and broke into hotels to clean herself up before interviews. She applied to restaurants, cafés, bookstores…no one wanted to hire her. She had no high school education, and despite her efforts, it was sometimes obvious that she lived on the street.

Éponine was frustrated, but still determined to succeed. She could get by on the food she ate each day, and on the occasional night when she felt especially vulnerable, she could go to Montparnasse. Going to stay with her parents guaranteed her involvement in a Patron Minette job, which was not something she wanted. She was having a hard enough time getting a job as it was, and potentially getting arrested was not going to help.

It wasn't until that fateful day in the office when everything changed. When Éponine came to the conclusion she was pregnant, she panicked. Not only was she pregnant, she was expecting _Montparnasse's _child, of all people. While it could have been a random client's child, carrying the child of a criminal was not much better.

Éponine was proud, and rarely asked for any sort of help. It was for the baby's sake that she went to the soup kitchen with Gavroche, in the hopes that she would be able to start eating a good amount of food to sustain the child growing inside her. She knew she couldn't wait long to go to the doctor. For the first two months of the child's life she had been living on the street, and barely eating. She was stressed, underfed, and most definitely not taking any sort of vitamin.

And then there was the incident in the café, when she had fallen through the window onto the table. She hadn't even wanted to be there, but after a hard day of no job offers, she needed somewhere to stay, and Montparnasse's offer was irresistible.

After falling, she had rushed to the bathroom as soon as she was able (when Cosette finally stopped prompting her about how handsome Enjolras was). There was no blood, and no pain in her abdominal area, and Éponine had assumed all was well. She had exhaled a breath she hadn't realized she had been holding, and fought the urge to cry when she realized how much danger she had put the child in.

In all, it seemed that Enjolras had changed everything. They had known each other a single day, and yet, he had bettered things for her already. He had found her a job working in the café, gotten Marius to speak to her again, and offered her his home. He was a godsend, or an angel in disguise.

She had expected him to hate her, given the fact that she had stumbled into the café with the intent to steal money. He had done the opposite; he had taken her actions as proof that she was on such hard times that she needed to steal to eat. It was not a view shared by many, and Enjolras's understanding made him an even better person.

She had a comfortable night and morning with Enjolras, surprised that she actually _enjoyed _his company. She never thought she would get along well with a well off law student, but she had been proven wrong. After working in the café and sharing dinner with Cosette, Éponine was almost…_excited_ to see Enjolras again.

The ABC meeting had been eye opening, to say the least. Éponine had learned a lot, though she spent much of her time staring intently at Enjolras. He had brought Gavroche with him from the soup kitchen, and the boy had taken a seat between Éponine and Courfeyrac. Marius and Cosette were sitting on Éponine's other side, a laptop on Marius's lap. He was searching through the traces on the President's email, looking for anything new.

The other boys sat around Enjolras, focused in rapt attention on the leader's words. He was discussing their upcoming rally, set for three days time. Éponine was looking forward to it; she had never been to an ABC Society rally, and was eager to see Enjolras in action in front of a larger crowd.

Though she had done her best to ignore Cosette, Éponine had to admit that Enjolras was handsome and endearing. He seemed almost angelic when he spoke, his words and entire demeanor trained to attract attention. He seemed to have two sides of himself. On one hand, he was the kind, blushing and hopeful man who offered his extra room to a girl he had just met. On the other hand, he was the intense revolutionary who would do anything to better the government and help the people.

Éponine knew, just from one day, that these two sides warred with each other; Revolutionary Enjolras made it difficult for Sensitive Enjolras to come out, and to be understood. Éponine considered herself lucky that she had experience the softer side of the leader.

A screeching of chairs shook Éponine from her reverie; the meeting was over. She stood, bending down to speak to Gavroche, who was staring at her expectantly.

"Can I go?"

"Go where?" Éponine asked. She didn't remember any sort of invitation being extended to her brother.

"To Courfeyrac's house. He invited me to come and stay with him."

Éponine looked over Gavroche's head to lock eyes with Courfeyrac. He was offering her a gentle smile, and a hesitant shrug of the shoulders. Éponine felt her eyes fill slightly with tears. This group of men she had just met had to be the kindest and most wonderful human beings she had ever come across.

"That's fine, Gav, just don't make a mess, okay?" Éponine said thickly, nodding a silent thank you to Courfeyrac, who nodded back with a smile.

Gavroche followed Courfeyrac out the door. Éponine turned to Cosette, who was scrolling through her phone.

"What time do you want me to be here tomorrow to work?"

"We can do ten again, if that works for you." Cosette said, shrugging slightly. "It doesn't really matter, it's not too busy before ten anyway."

"We'll probably be here around 9:30 again, if that's okay?" Enjolras said, entering the conversation. Éponine jumped slightly; she hadn't even heard him walk over.

"That's fine, I'll be here at eight anyway, so whatever works for you." Cosette said, smiling. She turned around, walking back to the counter to put away some of the ABC Society papers.

"Who said you were bringing me here tomorrow?" Éponine asked, turning to face Enjolras. Though she desperately wanted to take his offer of a home, she did not want him to just _assume_ that she would. Independence and pride were important to Éponine.

"I just…I hoped you would stay with me again." Enjolras said, his blue eyes betraying his fierce exterior. There was hope shining in them.

"Why?"

"It was nice to share breakfast with someone," Enjolras admitted. "And you said you were comfortable, and the café is right next to the University, so why not?"

"Okay." Éponine said, caving. Enjolras blinked, a smile coming over his face.

"That's….okay, good. Are you ready to go now?" He asked, looking around the room. Most of the men were still there, though all were just drinking beer and chatting.

"Whenever you are,"

"Let me just say goodbye."

Enjolras walked around, clapping his hand on the backs of his friends. It was now that they had to really come together; their rally was soon, and if they were ever going to rouse the people, they had to do it then. Enjolras was proud at how hard everyone was working, and how much time and effort they were willing to put into the ABC Society.

"Joly, give me my computer, and get off of WebMD." Marius said exasperatedly, tugging the laptop away from the med student. Éponine fought the urge to laugh, covering her mouth with her hand. Enjolras was back at her side, not bothering to hide his grin.

"Bye, everyone!" Enjorlas called, over Joly's insistence that he must have gangrene. Enjolras held the door open for Éponine, and the pair walked to his car in silence.

Éponine would never admit it out loud, but after the year she had just endured, leaving her _job_ with a real _friend_ was an incomparable joy that she had never forseen.

* * *

**Phew. Well I hope you guys enjoyed that! It got a bit longer than I anticipated…I had thought I'd have space left to add more e/e at home, but this seemed like a good stopping point. I'm super excited for the chapters to come, so expect an update (hopefully) Tuesday or Wednesday…I've been so tired from work every night that I've been falling asleep at like 9:30 (lame, I know). **

**See you all soon! xoxo Brittany**


	9. Chapter 9: The Rally

**Hey guys, sorry this took a bit of time to get out, but I've been so tired from work and such at night that I've either been passing out or just watching Game of Thrones (I'm officially obsessed… as if I needed another fandom). **

**Anyway, I hope you guys enjoy this one after the bit of a filler chapter last time! **

* * *

Chapter 9

Enjolras did not know how to describe what he was feeling.

It had been three days since Éponine had walked into his life. Every night after the ABC Society meeting (at his insistence), Éponine would accompany him home. She stayed in the room across from him, and in the past three nights, he had grown extremely accustomed to hearing her moving about. He found that he looked forward to their time together, and the breakfasts they shared in the morning. It was new, and it was strange…it wasn't like his relationships with his male friends, no…

Enjolras was confused.

When he began to think too hard about his feelings, Enjolras usually shut down, trying to reason out his emotions rather than deal with them. He had been trying to rationalize his strange endearment to Éponine for days, and so far, he had come up with nothing. Maybe it was just nice to have _someone_ around for once? He was used to living alone, and that was how he usually liked it, but maybe as he had gotten older, he was happy to have another human around for company? It must have nothing to do with the fact that she was a girl, that Enjolras was sure of…

At least he thought so.

Though he had to admit, she was nice to look at. Enjolras had never rejected the opposite sex, he just never had _time _to pursue them. He was married to the people, he said, and to his country. He was too concerned, and too busy with other things – the ABC Society, law school, and the like – to have any free time to pursue a girlfriend. He could appreciate the smart, and attractive women he was around, just the thought of having a girlfriend had never crossed his mind.

But now, sharing space with a girl… it was certainly eye-opening. Enjolras had never had a girlfriend, let alone have a girl _live_ with him. He picked up on her little habits – how she'd hum while she poured cereal, or how she dropped the soap in the shower every morning. He found the little things _endearing_, and knew if she left that he would _miss_ her. The thought made him simultaneously blush and shudder.

Thankfully, none of the other members of the ABC Society had caught onto Enjolras's dilemma. He knew if any of them – especially Courfeyrac or Grantaire – found out about his confusion regarding Éponine…he would never hear the end of it.

"Are you ready for today?" Enjolras was pulled out of his thoughts by none other than Éponine herself. She was wearing brown shorts and a beige shirt. Cosette's father had given her an advance on her pay at the café so she could go out and buy clothes. The gesture was much appreciated; even the independent Éponine couldn't say no.

"As ready as I will ever be." Enjolras said, thinking ahead to the events of the day. It was the morning of their afternoon rally, one of the first major events that the ABC Society would hold. They did not expect a huge turnout – it was their first real rally as a group. What they wanted was word to spread; they hoped the attendants at the rally today would tell others of their ideas. This would, ideally, lead to a higher turnout at their next function.

"You're going to be great." Éponine said, laying a hand briefly on Enjolras's arm. He flinched slightly, a blush spreading across his neck.

_Way to go, Enjolras. _He admonished himself. _Now she thinks you're disgusted by her. _

Éponine, on the other hand, was silently chastising herself. _They call him marble man! Clearly he doesn't do physical interaction! _

"You're coming right?" Enjolras blurted, hasty to divert attention away from their awkward interaction. Éponine nodded.

"I wouldn't miss it." She affirmed. In truth, she was excited to see Enjolras in action in front of a large group. He was captivating in front of his friends…she could only imagine how he would be in front of a crowd.

"We should probably head over to the café in an hour or so…" Enjolras said, trailing off as he stared at the clock. Éponine glanced at the clock, shooting a quick smile at Enjolras before turning toward the hallway.

"I should shower," she remarked, shrugging slightly as she bounced down the hall. Once she was out of sight, Enjolras leaned back against the couch, groaning slightly. Not only was he confused about his emotional feelings regarding Éponine, now he had visions of her in the _shower_ invading his senses.

"Shit." He cursed, closing his eyes. He had so much on his plate – the ABC Society, graduation, the soup kitchen project… and now, feelings for Éponine.

"No!" he said out loud, conscious of the fact that Éponine would not hear him over the shower water. "You have no feelings for this girl!"

"Is that what you're telling yourself?"

To say Enjolras nearly had a heart attack would be an understatement. He stood, whipping around to his front door where Combeferre and Courfeyrac stood, amused smiles on both their faces.

"What are you…how did you…?"

"Have you ever seen Enjolras speechless?"

"Never. Didn't think it was possible."

"Must be because he's in love with 'Ponine."

"I am not!" Enjolras countered loudly. "And don't call her 'Ponine. Her name is Éponine."

"Is that a hint of jealousy I detect?" Courfeyrac teased, coming fully into the room. He took a seat on the couch across from Enjolras, patting the spot next to him. "Is our fearless leader finding that he does have emotions?"

"I've always had emotions." Enjolras grumbled. "You guys just don't see them."

"We see emotions, Courf, you know, like at the meetings. But I didn't know Enjolras could have emotions for a _woman._"

"I don't…she's my friend…we're friends, just like you and me!" Enjolras said, aware of the red hue of his face. This was ridiculous, he never got flustered!

"We should stop torturing the guy." Combeferre said lightly, sitting next to Courfeyrac on the couch. Enjolras felt his shoulders drop.

"Thank you." He said gratefully, sitting back in his chair.

"Though we both know you _do _have some sort of feelings for our new female friend, so there's no use arguing." Courfeyrac said, putting his hands behind his head and leaning back. "Now, forward. Rally today. Talk to us."

Enjolras gaped at his friends for half a second before snapping out of his reverie. "Rally, today, right." He said, gathering himself. "We're leaving here in an hour, and meeting everyone else at the café. We'll get situated – it shouldn't take long – and we'll go over everything one more time. Remember, this is just to get our name out there, and what we're standing for."

"So, no law breaking today then?" Courfeyrac questioned. Enjolras shook his head.

"We certainly wouldn't want anyone to know about our…online activities."

"None of us are that stupid as to walk out in front of a group and say that we hacked the President's email."

"Marius might."

"Yeah, well…we'll stick him in the back."

"Anyway," Enjolras continued. "We'll pass out flyers, and answer any questions. That's really it for today."

"What if the police show up?"

"We're not doing anything illegal as far as they know. They have no reason to shut down a peaceful rally."

"If it gets out of hand…"

"We reconvene at the café."

"You make it sound like nothing could go wrong." Combeferre said, to which Enjolras smiled.

"Nothing will."

* * *

"Where is Marius?" Enjolras asked, scanning the main room of the café. Everyone else – even Grantaire – was sitting around the various tables. Cosette and Marius were the only two missing.

"Did you call him?" Éponine appeared at Enjolras's side. He caught a whiff of her hair and his senses were invaded by the scent of strawberry. He forced himself to concentrate.

"I called him twice, no answer."

"Maybe he got stuck in traffic."

"Or maybe he has big news!" It was at that second that Marius burst through the door, pulling his girlfriend behind him. Everyone turned to him expectantly.

"What?" Marius questioned, looking confused. "Oh, my news, duh." Cosette rolled her eyes behind him. "It seems that we have a bit of a break in our investigation."

"Get to the point." Enjolras said impatiently. They were leaving in ten minutes for the rally; they did not have time to wait for Marius to tell one of his stories.

"The President made a shady deal with some brokers from the United Kingdom. It looks like they've been hiding a debt crisis for years. This is huge. France is absolutely broke, from what it looks like, and it's been covered up by faulty bonds and fake currency for years. If this hits the news…"

Enjolras gulped. This was exactly the kind of scandal they had been digging for. This would tear the country apart. "We can't let anyone know of this yet." He said slowly, ignoring the protests around him.

"Enjolras, this could be huge – "

"This could get people to our side – "

"The people have a right to know…"

"I agree the people have a right to know," Enjolras acknowledged. "But this kind of information…you know what happened in other European countries when debt was uncovered. People rioted. People _died._ We have to be careful…we have to be timely with this information, and go through the right circuit to release it." Enjolras finished, his gaze unwillingly drawn to Éponine. She gave him a tiny nod and smile.

"Enjolras is right." Éponine said, standing from her chair. "You know how down people are about the economy…it's not even just the poor that are affected. The poor will be even _worse_ off if this is uncovered. When the debt is out in the open and France can't cheat the currency and has no money for _anything_, all the public programs will be disbanded. That means no soup kitchen, and very little aid. People will starve and the number of poor will only grow."

Enjolras felt an immense wave of pride wash through him at her words. She had been with them for only a few days, and already understood the implications of their potential actions.

"Enjolras and 'Ponine are right." Marius finally conceded, missing Enjolras's wince at the nickname. "We'll hold onto the information for now…who knows, we may even need it for something in the future."

"We should go, Enjolras." Combeferre said, glancing at the clock. Enjolras nodded, gathering his papers and flyers.

"To a great rally!" Grantaire said, raising his beer to his friends. He finished it in a single gulp, following the group out of the café and into the city.

* * *

The turn out of the rally was what the ABC Society had expected. There were about 200 people in attendance, from various social classes. Many of them were young, though Enjolras could see some adults in the crowd as well. Hopefully, these people would pass the message along to their friends and family members. The ABC Society wanted a crowd of 1000 for the next rally.

Nearly unseen at the back of the crowd stood a boy of nineteen, watching the rally with interest. He had stumbled upon the group, and had been standing around to listen for some time. The "revolutionaries" (as the boy had begun to call them) were all around his age; students it seemed.

There was nothing that made this boy angrier than the thought of a group of uppity students coming in to "rescue" the poor. It was the white man's conundrum; throughout history, white men had come upon those whom they considered "lower than them" and "pulled them out of destitution". It had happened with the American Indians, it had happened in ancient times, and it would continue happening.

Though the boy and these students were of the same country, race and city, the concept still applied. Why should these rich boys think they needed to "save" the poor? The poor of Paris could liberate themselves.

The voice of the blonde leader interrupted the boy's thoughts. "We seek to find any corruption in the government…"

Hang on. That sounded too familiar.

Earlier that day, the boy had attended a meeting with his employer. His employer had just met with the police regarding hacks into important government accounts. The police could tell that the hackers had put tracks on several key words. One of them was corruption, the boy remembered.

Could these revolutionaries be the hackers?

Montparnasse didn't know, but he was going to find out.

* * *

**HMM. I wonder what will happen? Drop me a lovely little review, I love hearing what you all think! What do you all think will happen with Montparnasse/**** Éponine****'s pregnancy? **

**Keep in mind this is all AU and I don't expect that France is hiding any debts or doing shady deals (though who knows). I'm just making it up as I go and hoping it makes sense to you all! **

**Thanks guys, and I'll be back with chapter 10 soon! xoxo Brittany**


	10. Chapter 10: The Mistake

**Holy god this is a looong one! Hope you guys enjoy it, and drop me a review at the end! **

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Chapter Ten: The Mistake

The morning after the rally, Enjolras was woken by a sharp tapping on his bedroom door. He roused slowly, blinking his eyes in confusion. Who the hell was in his apartment?

Remembering his houseguest, Enjolras jumped out of bed, ignoring the cold sting of the floorboards against his bare feet. He wrenched the door open, coming face to face with Éponine.

"What is it?" He asked, rubbing his right eye. Éponine bit her lip, tears building in her eyes.

"I – " her voice cracked; she sounded on the brink of hysteria. "I need to go to the hospital."

Enjolras blinked, his eyes widening in surprise. Aside from the impending anxiety attack, Éponine seemed fine.

"What's – "

"I'm bleeding." Éponine said bluntly, her eyes imploring. Enjolras grabbed her right arm, turning it over.

"Where?" He asked frantically, scanning her body for cuts or contusions. Éponine, despite her state of shock, fought the urge to roll her eyes.

"I…here…" she gestured vaguely toward her pelvic region. Enjolras dropped her arm as though burned, and stepped back slightly.

"I…I mean, I'm no woman, but isn't that normal sometimes?"

"Not when you're pregnant." Éponine said, her heart rate increasing. "I need to get to the hospital."

"I – you're – pregnant…?" Enjolras spit out, gaping at the woman in front of him. He quickly snapped out of it, however, when he realized the severity of the situation. "Right, well, let's go get in the car. Hospital is close."

Enjolras grabbed his keys, throwing a shirt over his head and sliding loafers onto his feet. He imagined he looked ridiculous, but now was not the time for vanity. He joined Éponine in the hallway, looking down her small frame. He bit his lip, mentally shrugging, before picking her up bridal style.

"What are you doing?"

"I don't know much about this, but I imagine walking and moving too much isn't a good thing." Enjolras said, gritting his teeth as he carried her light figure toward the door.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you." Éponine said quietly. Enjolras shouldered open the front door, shifting Éponine to the side in order to lock the door.

"It's not really something you tell someone you met a week ago." He assured her, jiggling the knob to confirm it was locked.

"Normal people don't invite total strangers into their houses, either, but you seemed to have no problem with that."

Enjolras said nothing, just focused on walking down the stairs without dropping Éponine. Once on the street, he walked to the car, clicking the unlock button. Enjolras opened the door to the car, placing Éponine carefully in the passenger's seat. She shakily buckled her seatbelt as Enjolras jogged around the front of the car to the driver's seat.

Enjolras started the car, bucking his own seatbelt, before carefully pulling out of his parking spot. As he drove, he tried not to jostle Éponine too much, but luckily, the hospital was within five minutes of the apartment.

Enjolras was able to find a front row space at the emergency room. He ran around the front of the car again, opening Éponine's door and lifting her gently from the seat.

"You know, I can walk to the door." Éponine said, huffing slightly. She was independent as it was, and she could certainly walk the few feet from the car.

"I know you can. Just let me help you." Over the past few days, Enjolras had caught onto Éponine's proclivity to independence. She was determined to take care of herself. Enjolras, however, could see that façade starting to break down; ever since Éponine had begun to stay with him, she had allowed him to do simple things, such as cook for her.

A nurse saw the pair approaching and rolled a wheelchair to meet them. "What brings you in today?" she asked with concern.

"I may be having a miscarriage." Éponine said, tears pricking to her eyes again. Enjolras felt his blood run cold at the word. He had pieced together that something could be _wrong_ if Éponine was bleeding, but he had not thought of the possibility that she could be _losing _the baby.

"Are you the father?"

"He's not." Éponine noticed Enjolras's far-off look and answered the question for him. The nurse smiled gently at Enjolras. She guided him to a chair in the waiting room as a doctor came to wheel Éponine back to triage.

"Honey, why don't you sit down and have a cup of tea." The nurse handed Enjolras a Styrofoam cup, steaming with Chamomile tea. Enjolras's hand was shaking, causing the scalding liquid to spill on his hand.

"Fuck!" he said loudly, his eyes widening at his profanity. He rarely cursed, unless he was under tremendous stress. His stress, however, was usually caused by exams, or the like.

"Well, at least if you burn yourself, you're already at the hospital." The nurse said, smiling slightly. She handed Enjolras a napkin, pointing him toward the nearest bathroom. "Run that under cold water," she said, pointing to his hand. "And drink that tea."

Enjolras stood mutely, walking to the bathroom. He turned on the water, setting his tea on the paper towel dispenser. As the cold water hit the recent burn, he hissed in pain, chastising himself when he considered the pain Éponine was going through at that moment.

_Pregnant. _By who, though? Gavroche had told Enjolras that Éponine had worked down at the docks for a time…was it a customer's child? Enjolras hoped not; Éponine didn't deserve that. She deserved someone to take care of her, someone who would _want _to raise a child with her. She deserved marriage and love and a country home with a husband…

Hold on. Wait. Time out.

Enjolras shook his head, his eyes wide. Why on _earth_ was he imagining _himself_ with Éponine in that country cottage with children? He imagined himself to be a good boyfriend (he had nothing to refer to) but he knew plenty of great guys who could be with Éponine! And Enjolras was sure there were plenty of good guys out there that he _didn't_ even know. Éponine was in love with Marius, he was a good guy…

Enjolras was surprised by the cold stab of envy that flew through his gut at the thought of Éponine with Marius. He felt a subsequent blush creep up his neck at his obvious jealousy. He sagged his shoulders in defeat, leaning against the sink. The dull pain of his burned hand had abated slightly, and Enjolras again considered the pain Éponine was going through. This was certainly not the time to argue with himself over his feelings for her.

Enjolras wiped his hands dry, and tipped some tea from the cup into the sink to avoid further injury. He exited the bathroom, walking back down the short hallway to the waiting room. Once seated, he pulled out his phone, sliding it open. He figured he should tell his friends – their friends – that Éponine was in the hospital.

It was tough, though. She wouldn't want a bunch of people to know she was pregnant, especially if she wasn't anymore. Enjolras debated with himself for several seconds before sliding his phone back into his pocket. They could wait to find out.

Enjolras sat in the waiting room for what felt like hours. He couldn't remember a time he had been more bored. The television was screening a marathon of _Keeping Up with the Kardashians, _and it was all Enjolras had not to get up and turn it off.

After what seemed like an eternity, the door opened and it was Éponine. She was clutching paperwork, her face tired. Enjolras jumped to his feet, reaching her side in three strides.

"Are you…" he began, trailing off uncertainly.

"I'm fine, Enjolras, I'll explain when we get back to your apartment." Éponine said hurriedly, her face streaked with tear lines. Enjolras felt a pang of sadness in his gut at the look on her face. He didn't know how to handle crying women, but it looked like he was about to learn.

"Just some bed rest, take it easy, drink some tea and stay fed and hydrated." The doctor said, smiling over Éponine's head at Enjolras. He nodded at the doctor, unconsciously taking Éponine's hand in his own, leading her toward the door.

Éponine could not help the slight smile that appeared on her face when she felt Enjolras slip his hand into hers. He claimed to be bad with emotions, and yet he had been more comfort to her than she had ever known. She gripped his hand in return, leaning into his tall frame, holding his arm with her other hand.

Enjolras stiffened for a second, before relaxing, embarrassed by the involuntary smile stretching over his face. _Get it together! _He yelled at himself. _She just had a miscarriage and you're grinning because she's leaning on you!_

Enjolras cleared his throat, forcing the smile off his face. He led Éponine to the car, opening the door for her. He reluctantly allowed her to let go of his arm, waiting for her to get situated before closing the door. He walked to the driver's side, watching Éponine fasten her seatbelt out of the corner of his eye.

The drive back to the apartment was silent. Enjolras did not want to inquire about the hospital visit until they were back inside. The ride took only five minutes, but in silence, it stretched on for what seemed like hours. Once they arrived, Éponine got out of the car before Enjolras could assist her. She closed the door quietly, clutching the hospital papers to her chest. She followed Enjolras up the stairs to the apartment door, saying nothing as they entered.

Éponine stopped in the living room, unsure of what to do. All she wanted was to sleep, but she felt she needed to explain the situation to Enjolras. He had waited at the hospital for hours; he deserved to know.

"You're probably wondering – "

"Do you want some tea – "

Both Éponine and Enjolras broke the silence at the same time. Éponine trailed off, looking at Enjolras questioningly.

"Tea? Are we British?"

Enjolras turned red, shrugging slightly, before looking down. "I don't – "

"I'm kidding, Enjolras, tea sounds wonderful."

In lieu of replying, Enjolras busied himself in the kitchen, preparing two cups of steaming tea. He carried both cups to the living room, where Éponine had seated herself on the couch.

"Careful, it's hot."

"No shit." Éponine said, laughing slightly. Enjolras scratched the back of his neck in embarrassment.

"I may or may not have burned myself at the hospital."

"On tea?"

"Chamomile. The nurse gave me some to…calm down."

"I didn't mean to make you stressed." Éponine said quietly. Enjolras shook his head, leaning forward to place a hand over hers.

"You…well, I mean you did, but that's what friends are for, right? I was concerned for you, because I care about you, because we are friends."

"Right." Éponine agreed, nodding in agreement. "Friends." _Just friends, Éponine._ She reminded herself.

"So…what happened? Why were you…bleeding?"

"Well, I…" Éponine began, before she was interrupted by a beeping noise in the corner of the room. Enjolras stood up, walking to the desk where Marius's laptop sat. He had left it with Enjolras after several leads with the President's email had come up. Enjolras turned the volume down to mute, turning around to Éponine apologetically.

"Sorry, continue."

"I…I've thought I was pregnant for the last two months or so." She admitted, glancing down. "I…I was with Montparnasse, you know, the one in my father's gang. I had been living…well it doesn't matter, but I was living with him for a few months. We had a…physical relationship." Both Éponine and Enjolras blushed at the comment.

"About two months ago I left him, and started looking for a job. We had a horrible relationship…he was…he treated me terribly. After I left him I lived on the street with Gavroche, stealing things mostly. I realized I hadn't had my…period in awhile when I went to an office for an interview. That was just a few days before I met you."

"So then today…?" Enjolras questioned, wondering what had caused a miscarriage.

"Well…come to find out, I wasn't actually pregnant at all." Éponine admitted, biting her lip and looking down.

"How…?" Enjolras knew that he didn't have a vast knowledge of the female reproductive system, but he assumed that skipping periods was a pretty solid indication of pregnancy.

"Well…What the doctor thinks is that I was stressed and underfed when I was living on the street. Sometimes…if a girl isn't on the pill, which I'm not, and gets super stressed out or loses weight, she can skip periods."

"So this morning, when you were bleeding…?"

"It was my period." Éponine confirmed. "I was never pregnant."

"But why would you get it now?"

"I'm not stressed here, Enjolras, and I'm not starving. I'm comfortable… the doctor said once my body was relieved of stress and I was eating normally, that it was logical that I would resume my normal cycle."

Enjolras sat back against the pillows, trying to process. He had found out that Éponine was pregnant hours earlier, and now he was finding out that she never was. He also had just deduced that she was comfortable living with him (which made him very happy), but he didn't want to focus on that.

"So are you…okay?"

"I didn't have a miscarriage."

"No I mean…mentally…you thought you were going to have a baby and now come to find out you were never pregnant. Doesn't that mess with your mind?"

"A little." Éponine admitted. "I was scared as hell, yes, but I finally have a job and a way to provide for myself. I had been thinking of all the ways I could make a child happier than I ever was growing up. But now isn't a good time to have a baby. I'm not on my feet yet, I'm still living with you, so in the long run, I think it's good that it was a false alarm. I would not want to have a child with Montparnasse."

"You could have stayed with me even if you were pregnant." Enjolras said quietly. Éponine's eyebrows rose in surprise.

"I could never have asked – "

"You wouldn't have had to ask, 'Ponine. You could have just belonged here."

"Enjolras, this is temporary…"

"Temporary my ass." Enjolras said bluntly. "The doctor just confirmed to you that you're less stressed here. You should stay here. And when I graduate in a month…we can find something else, closer to the café. You can keep working there, and we'll keep having meetings."

"You want to keep living with me?" Éponine asked, her eyebrows furrowed in confusion. It's not like they were dating!

"I feel…I just want…yes, I do, Éponine, but only if you want to live with me too."

"I would like that." Éponine said quietly. A smile spread across Enjolras's face.

"Excellent." He said, trying to mask his happiness at her agreement. "I'm glad you agree."

"How can I argue with a lawyer?" Éponine teased, standing from the couch. She smiled over her shoulder as she walked to the kitchen, depositing her empty mug of tea in the sink. As she turned, Enjolras entered the kitchen, placing his mug next to hers.

"I think I want to take a nap." Éponine said, trying to suppress a yawn. Enjolras felt a yawn coming himself, and he nodded in agreement.

"That sounds great." He affirmed, moving toward the hallway. Éponine followed him, stopping at the door to her room.

"Enjolras?" She said suddenly, leaning forward to grab his hand. He stopped, looking at their entwined fingers before moving his gaze to her face.

"Yes?"

"Thank you, for everything." She said, smiling. "I don't know what I'd do without you…and that's hard for me to admit."

"It's okay to lean on people sometimes." Enjolras said, turning to face her. She nodded, blinking back the film of tears coating her eyes. In lieu of an answer, Éponine threw herself at Enjolras, wrapping her arms around his torso.

Enjolras was surprised, but soon reacted, placing on hand on Éponine's upper back, and the other behind her head. He rested his head upon hers, marveling at how well they seemed to fit together. She was nearly a foot shorter than he was, and yet, it was perfect.

Éponine pulled back, wiping her eyes before looking up at Enjolras again. "Breakfast for dinner once we wake up from our naps?" She asked, to which he nodded.

"We do have an affinity for breakfast." He said, turning back to his door. "Sweet dreams, 'Ponine."

"Sleep tight, Enjolras."

* * *

Had Enjolras understood the implications of the beep sounding from Marius's computer, he might have closed the lid. Instead, even without the sound on, the computer was steadily hacked into over the course of Enjolras and Éponine's conversation.

The boy from the rally had taken his hunch back to the police, who had easily tracked the IP address once they had a name to go off of: Montparnasse had recognized Marius, the idiotic student Éponine had mooned over for years.

The police hacked into the webcam, activating it, allowing Javert, Thenardier, and Montparnasse access to the events unfolding in Enjolras's living room.

Montparnasse listened as Éponine recounted her time with him, and the fact that she thought she was _pregnant_ for some time, before confirming that she never had been.

I would not want to have a child with Montparnasse

_I would not want to have a child with Montparnasse_

The words screamed through Montparnasse's mind. At that point, he didn't care about the investigation. He didn't care about Éponine's infatuation with Marius. He didn't care about government hacks. All Montparnasse cared about was getting back at Éponine, who dared to say she would not want to have a child with him. What was she implying, that she could do _better? _ Did she think this law student, this Enjolras, wanted to _be _with her?

Montparnasse sneered at the thought. While he was getting back at Éponine, he might as well get Enjolras too.

* * *

**well SHIT. This is the longest chapter so far, and was definitely one of my favorites to write. I've been planning this since I said Éponine was pregnant… I knew she wasn't ACTUALLY. I wrote it to set up this encounter with Montparnasse, and the upcoming showdown (bum bum BUMMMM). **

**Somewhat PERSONAL, but…the story with Éponine being stressed and not getting her period, that actually happened to me a few years ago (the summer before I started college), and I thought I was having a miscarriage when I got my period as well. It was terrifying. Not a fun experience AT ALL. **

**ANYWHO, drop me a review! They make me to write MUCH faster and they make me smiley with glee. Until next time! xoxo Brittany**


	11. Chapter 11: The Confession

**NANANANA I'VE BEEN SO EXCITED FOR THIS CHAPTER**

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Chapter 11: The Confession

Éponine's heart was hammering. She looked up at the entrance to the soup kitchen with trepidation, gnawing nervously on her bottom lip. In her left hand, she clutched her fake tax return, with the name "Brienne Jones" expertly photoshopped into the name section.

Her place of employment was a local grocery store, and her home address was a walk up around the corner from the soup kitchen. Éponine and Enjolras had debated for hours over how low "Brienne's" income should be. They calculated bare-minimum cost of living in Paris, factoring in the price of the apartment, the utility bills and basic necessities. Leaving no money for anything extra, and assuming zero savings, the pair had finally come up with the lowest salary possible without being homeless.

Éponine took a deep breath, taking one last glance at her personal information on the tax return. Her birthday was written as March 1st, 1991, making her 22 years old. In case they asked, she had to make sure she remembered it.

Ignoring her sweaty palms and racing heart, Éponine pushed open the front door to the soup kitchen. She was instantly greeted by the smell of burning chicken, causing her nose to wrinkle in distaste. Éponine followed signs to the office, turning a corner and coming to a desk. There was no one there, but a head poked around the corner, having heard Éponine's footsteps.

"Be out in one minute!" The woman called, moving back out of view. Éponine took a seat on the couch next to the desk. The office was small and cluttered, full of papers and overflowing cabinets. It seemed that a lot of people frequented the soup kitchen.

"Sorry," The woman said, coming around the corner and taking a seat at the desk. Éponine stood up and approached the desk, forcing a smile onto her nervous face.

"It's alright," she said, trying to keep the waver out of her voice. "I just was wondering if I could apply to come to the soup kitchen."

"Did you bring a tax return?"

Éponine nodded, handing the paper over to the woman. She looked it over, scanning the financial information.

"I can't say right away, Brienne, but I don't know if we'll be able to let you in." She said frankly, turning to her computer. "We have to put all your information into the database, and it does a background check based on your name, and then figures out if you're allowed based on your salary. Looking at this though…" She turned the sheet over, pointing to the gross income section. "You look like you make a bit too much for here."

Éponine's eyes widened in shock. _Enjolras was right._ She thought to herself. _The people who need this place the most can't even get in!_

"But I'm hungry!" Éponine blurted out, remembering what Enjolras had told her; he wanted her to really play up the fact that she _needed_ the soup kitchen, and see if it helped her.

"People in the past have made…arrangements with John, the head of this establishment, when the rules wouldn't let them in." The woman said slowly, looking back up at Éponine. "If you want, I can have you talk to him."

"What kind of arrangements?"

"Exchange of food for…pleasantries."

Éponine blinked. Was this woman serious?

"Like, sex?" She asked bluntly, her mind reeling. This was getting more ridiculous by the minute.

"Among other things." The woman said, covering the implications of her words with a smile. "But we can talk about that later. Why don't you go into the kitchen now, get yourself a meal, and then we can let you know in a few minutes if you've been approved."

Éponine nodded vaguely, turning toward the door. "Down the hall to the right." The woman called after her, and Éponine raised a hand in thanks. She walked down the hallway, pushing open the door marked "cafeteria". Upon entering, she was surprised to see the facility practically empty, with only two people eating, and one person working. Luckily for Éponine, that one person was Enjolras.

"Do I have news for you." She mumbled, approaching the food line. Enjolras raised an eyebrow, grabbing a plate and piling potatoes on it to cover their conversation.

"Good? Bad?"

"Bad. Don't think they'll let me in, first of all. Said I made too much."

Enjolras nodded, glancing behind him to assure they were alone. "That's what I figured."

"It gets worse. When I said I was hungry, and needed to come here, the woman suggested I set up an arrangement with John, your boss. Exchange of sex for food."

Enjolras dropped his spoon in shock, his mouth dropping open. "Are you serious?" He hissed. "I'm going to kill him, he's not getting anywhere near you."

Éponine blushed slightly at his protective nature. Enjolras's fingers were flexing in agitation, and Éponine leaned forward, placing her hand over his. "Obviously it's not even a question." She said soothingly, squeezing his fingers lightly. "I appreciate your concern, though."

"You got it all recorded?" Enjolras asked, picking up his spoon again and trying to ignore the tingling he felt where Éponine had touched him.

Éponine nodded, patting her pocket. "Got it all." She confirmed, smiling. "Nice hairnet, by the way." She teased, laughing at the sight of Enjolras's matted blonde hair. He rolled his eyes, flicking a bit of mashed potatoes at Éponine's face.

"It's not funny."

"It's hilar – " Éponine started, but cut off with a sharp gasp. She was looking past Enjolras, where a tall man was entering the cafeteria from the back area.

"What's wrong?" Enjolras said, looking behind him. He saw his boss, John, coming toward the pair. "I told you, 'Ponine, I'm not going to let him – "

"You didn't tell me your boss was John McCue." She hissed, putting a hand up to her face to try to hide herself. "He works for my father!"

Enjolras's eyes widened, and he hastily handed Éponine the plate of food. "Go sit down!" he said, gesturing to the tables. Éponine took the plate with one hand, turning to leave.

"Thenardier?" John's voice questioned, and Éponine froze. She hadn't been quick enough.

She turned around slowly, mentally cursing. "John," she said neutrally, avoiding eye contact with Enjolras. "I didn't know you worked here."

"I didn't know you would need to come here, don't you get enough down at the docks?"

Éponine winced. She had just told Enjolras that she knew John through her father, but she hadn't told him that John had once been a _customer _as well.

"I don't work there anymore." Éponine said, raising her chin higher. She wasn't about to let this man push her around.

"According to your father, you weren't good for much else." John said, moving to stand next to Enjolras. He didn't notice Enjolras's vice grip on his spoon, which was turning his knuckles white.

"I haven't spoken to my father in months, so he wouldn't know."

John was about to respond, when the woman from the front desk approached the counter. "Oh, good, you've met." She said, gesturing between John and Éponine. "Your application has been rejected." She directed to Éponine. "I'm sure the two of you can work something out, though." She said, smiling at John.

"What do you say, Éponine, just like old times, right?" John said, leaning forward on the counter. He seemed to forget that Enjolras was there.

"Éponine?" The woman said, looking confused. "Her name is Brienne."

It happened in an instant. One moment, Enjolras was standing, desperately trying to control his temper. The next, he had dropped his spoon and turned toward John, his right fist swinging back and then plunging forward, connecting with John's nose. A loud crack echoed through the small cafeteria, and Éponine's eyes widened in surprise.

"Call security!" The woman next to Éponine said frantically, but Enjolras was already hopping over the counter. He grabbed Éponine's hand, half dragging her to the front door. The pair ran, bursting through the door and into the Paris sunlight.

Enjolras ripped off his hairnet, tossing it to the ground. He whipped around, searching for the best place to run. At that moment, he spotted a bus about to leave and dragged Éponine onto it, hastily throwing a few coins into the slot.

They sat as the bus began to pull away, ducking down as a local police officer approached the front of the soup kitchen. Enjolras let out a gust of air as the bus turned the corner, the soup kitchen out of view.

"What the hell was that?" Éponine said, panting slightly from running and adrenaline.

"I fucking hate that guy." Enjolras said roughly, leaning back against the bus seat. "I think I broke my hand."

Éponine gingerly picked up Enjolras's right wrist, holding it up. His knuckles were already swollen, the skin turning purple. Enjolras's entire hand was shaking, and he closed his eyes, gritting his teeth.

"Does it hurt a lot?" Éponine asked quietly. Enjolras opened one eye, shrugging his left shoulder.

"It was worth it."

"That's not what I asked."

He sighed, grumbling slightly. "A bit." He conceded.

"If it's broken, we have to go to the hospital."

"No, we can just go see Joly." Enjolras said quickly. "If he says I have to go to the hospital, we'll go to the hospital."

"Where does he live?"

"Rue di Medici."

Éponine nodded in comprehension; she knew Paris like the back of her hand. "Enjolras…you didn't have to hit him. Now you don't have your law project anymore."

"I just couldn't stand there anymore and let him say those things to you," Enjolras admitted, his eyes still closed. "He's an asshole, and he wanted to sleep with you in exchange for food, which sounds like something he's done before. We're taking that tape to the police, or something, and we're getting this guy fired."

The bus jolted to a stop, and Éponine looked up, surveying the area. "If we go one more stop and get off, Joly's apartment should be only about a five minute walk."

Enjolras nodded. "Can you tell me a story or something? I'm so pissed and my hand is throbbing…just take my mind off it."

Éponine took a deep breath, considering her options. Was it now or never?

"Once upon a time," she began. Enjolras's mouth twitched in laughter at her cheesy beginning. "There was a girl. She lived in happiness for about the first five years of her life, and then things started to go downhill."

"I don't like this story." Enjolras frowned. "It doesn't sound like it has a happy ending."

"Shut up and let me talk." Éponine chastised. "Anyway, she had a hard upbringing. Her parents weren't the nicest people, and they had even worse friends. She was shuffled from place to place, and from her family to her boyfriend and onto the streets for years. She didn't hold any hope for herself at all."

"Then, one day, she followed her brother into a soup kitchen, and she met a law student. Now, the girl thought that law students were stuck up and pretentious, but she was quickly proved wrong by this one." A smile spread across Enjolras's face. His head was still leaning against the back of the bus seat, and his eyes were still closed.

"He was smart, and passionate, and tried very, very hard to take care of the girl. She wasn't having any of it – she had been on her own for a long time, and was very independent. But the law student didn't care. Little by little the girl began to realize that leaning on someone did not mean losing her independence, it meant conceding to the fact that there are decent human beings out there. She didn't realize for a long time how nice it would be to have someone protect her." Éponine said the last sentence quietly, biting her lip. Enjolras opened his eyes, lifting his head off the seat.

"Éponine, I – "

"This is our stop," Éponine said quickly as the bus screeched to a halt. She walked down the aisle, and out the door. A confused Enjolras followed, trailing behind her as she walked quickly down the sidewalk.

"Éponine." Enjolras called, expecting her to turn around. When she didn't, Enjolras picked up his pace, clutching his injured hand to his chest.

"Éponine, wait." He said exasperatedly, catching up with her. He grabbed her arm with his left hand, turning her around. He was surprised to see that tears were leaking out of her eyes.

"What, why are you crying?"

"I don't know." Éponine sniffed, leaning against the brick building next to her. Enjolras sighed. This was why he had never had a girlfriend; he didn't understand anything about them.

"That story on the bus…"

"Just forget about it, okay?" Éponine said, pushing herself off the wall and starting to walk away. Enjolras gently grabbed her arm again, holding her in place.

"I don't want to forget about it." He said quietly, forcing himself to look her in the eyes. She looked at him questioningly. "I…you…I don't know what's happening here, Éponine." He admitted, letting go of her arm to run his hand roughly through his hair. "You just walked into my life, and everything is _different_ and I don't know how that happened."

Éponine said nothing, her tears stopping. Was he saying what she thought he was saying?

"I'm going to be shit at this, because I've never done it before, and I never thought that this would happen, not like this. I couldn't understand, logically, why I invited you to come and live with me, why I miss you when you're at the café and I'm in class, why I just _punched my boss_ for God's sake…I just…I don't…" Enjolras trailed off, looking at Éponine helplessly.

"You know, marble man, I've never seen you speechless." Éponine teased, all traces of tears gone from her face. She had been afraid he'd reject her, or even worse, not want to be her friend after the story on the bus.

"I just, I'm lost here, Éponine, this is new territory. I don't know what to do."

"I've got an idea." Éponine said, throwing caution to the wind. She lifted herself on her tiptoes, tilting her head up and placing her arms around Enjolras's neck. "Kiss me."

The law student who usually gave the instructions was only too happy to oblige. He leaned down, carefully placing his injured hand on Éponine's waist, threading the other through her hair. His eyes fluttered closed as their lips connected, and a burst of euphoria flew through his chest. His lips moved against Éponine's tenderly as he tried to convey the emotions he'd been feeling over the past few days. She responded enthusiastically, pulling him closer, arching her body into his.

"You know, it's hard to kiss you when you're smiling that much." Éponine said, pulling back slightly. Enjolras pursed his lips together, unaware that he had been smiling at all.

"I didn't even notice." He admitted, placing his good hand on the side of Éponine's face. "I'm just happy." He leaned forward quickly, pecking her on the mouth, before placing his forehead against hers.

"I am too." Éponine said, biting her lip as a smile stretched across her face. "But I'd also really like to kiss you, so if you could chill with the – "

Enjolras didn't even let her finish her sentence, before he crashed his lips on hers.

* * *

**I'M SQUEALING YOU GUYS AH. OKAY SO they've kissed, so that's all wonderful and exciting, but Enjy also just assaulted someone (whoops) and we've still got Montparnasse waiting in the wings to show up and be a dick, so there's still a lot more drama to go down! I appreciate all your wonderful reviews (I read them all like six times) so drop me one for this chapter if you could, and I'll be back with an update in a couple days! xoxo Brittany**


	12. Chapter 12: The Reveal

**HEY EVERYONE so my boss is out of the office this week so guess who brought their laptop to hammer out some new chapters? THIS GIRL. **

**I ALMOST NAMED THIS CHAPTER "CHAPTER 12: JUST FLUFF" **

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Chapter 12: The Reveal

It was the giggle that gave him away.

Joly had just turned onto his street when he saw a couple embracing, nearly no space between them, their mouths attacking each other. He had rolled his eyes, caught between appreciation for the display of affection, and disgust for the germ exchange. He intended to quickly walk by them to avoid any awkward interactions; it was, after all, the middle of the day.

As he drew closer, however, Joly began to notice several familiar qualities in the couple in front of him. The girl had hair that reminded him of someone he had just seen, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it…and _dear God_ was that Enjolras?

Joly let out a giggle of surprise, and it was that sound that finally caused Enjolras and Éponine to break apart, faces flushed, and both slightly out of breath. At the sight of his friend, Enjolras's face turned a dark red and he stepped away from Éponine slightly, scratching behind his head awkwardly.

In spite of the situation, Éponine was not particularly embarrassed, and more humored by Enjolras's reaction. Joly cleared his throat, also blushing slightly at finding one of his best friends in such a situation.

"So…you two?" He questioned, leaning against the brick wall with his arms crossed. Éponine grinned, and Enjolras turned redder.

"I…uh…yes." Enjolras stuttered, causing Joly to grin even wider than Éponine .

"Enjolras speechless, who knew it was possible!" He teased, nudging Éponine in the arm with his elbow. She laughed, glancing at Enjolras.

"Strange, isn't it?" She asked, stepping forward and looping an arm through the crook in Enjolras's elbow. She squeezed his lower arm, twisting her neck to look up at him. "I quite like being the cause of your confusion, to be honest."

Enjolras relaxed, smiling down at her. He leaned down, pressing a kiss to her forehead. Joly's mouth dropped open. Not only had he witnessed Enjolras practically _attacking_ Éponine with his lips, now he was acting…affectionate? And all in the space of five minutes? Joly was floored.

"So…uh…why are you on my street?" Joly asked, desperate to change the subject. As much as he enjoyed this new change in Enjolras, it was just so…_strange._

"Oh Enjolras broke his hand." Éponine said nonchalantly. Joly's eyes widened.

"Doing what, exactly?" He asked, staring at the pair of them frantically. Did they really move that fast?

"Joly, mind out of the gutter." Éponine deadpanned. At Enjolras's confused expression, she rolled her eyes, reaching up to whisper in his ear. His face flushed scarlet once again, and he gave Joly a hard look.

"Seriously, Joly." He chastised. "I punched my boss at the soup kitchen." He held up his bruised knuckles as evidence.

"And why exactly would you do that?"

"I had good reason." Enjolras said mysteriously, to which Joly raised an eyebrow. "I'll tell everyone later, at Musain." He promised, to which the med student nodded. "Can you tell me if I have to go to the hospital?"

"You can come to my flat and I can take a look, but I'm not sure how much I can tell you without an x-ray or anything." Joly warned, walking down the sidewalk, past Éponine and Enjolras. The pair followed him a few doors down, where he stuck a key in his lock and opened the door, holding it for Enjolras, who in turn stepped aside to allow Éponine to enter before him. Joly shook his head again; who was this new Enjolras?

Enjolras sat on the couch, holding his hand up to examine it in the light. "You know, it doesn't seem to hurt as much now as it did."

Éponine sat next to him, raising a hand and flicking a finger at his knuckle. "Ow!" Enjolras said loudly, looking at her with a scandalized expression.

"How about now?"

"Not nice." Enjolras pouted, sticking out his lower lip. Éponine's gaze flicked down to his protruding lip and she leaned down, gently biting on it before kissing him fully on the mouth.

"As excited as I am," Joly started loudly, coming back into the room with a frozen bag of peas. "I don't need to keep seeing that, thank you."

Éponine jumped away from Enjolras, squeezing his knee as she got up. Joly came and sat in her place, moving his overhead light directly above Enjolras's hand.

"This might hurt." He warned, to which Enjolras grit his teeth, before nodding. Joly carefully manipulated Enjolras's hand, checking to see if anywhere was visibly broken. Enjolras hissed in pain, blindly reaching out his good hand for Éponine to take. She seemed to get the message, for she walked quickly around the back of the couch, taking his hand in hers.

After several minutes of prodding, Joly finally let go of Enjolras's hand. "It doesn't seem to be broken." He announced, gently placing the bag of frozen peas on the swelling. "You bruised it up pretty bad – must have been a good punch." He looked up at Éponine , who nodded in agreement. "You should ice it today and tomorrow. If it still hurts as much as it does now in like…four days, I would say go to the hospital. If not, you should be fine."

Enjolras nodded, leaning back against the couch cushions. He and Éponine were still holding hands.

"Same time as usual for the meeting tonight?" Joly questioned, taking a seat in the armchair across from the couch. Enjolras nodded.

"Yeah, around nine, when the café is closed."

"Shit!" Éponine said suddenly, pulling her hand out of Enjolras's and standing. Both men gave her a questioning look. "I was supposed to go right to the café after the soup kitchen!"

"I can drive you guys," Joly offered, standing from the chair as well. "I wanted to go to the library anyway, so this works out. And Enjolras can sit in the café with you, or in the library with me and we can make sure he keeps ice on that hand."

"I'm an adult, you know." Enjolras said, frowning.

"Following directions has never been your strong suit." Joly pointed out, jingling his keys in his hand. "Ready?" Éponine and Enjolras both nodded, following the med student out of his flat. As they walked, Éponine slipped her hand back into Enjolras's, smiling at the blush on the back of his neck.

She could get used to this.

* * *

For the afternoon, Enjolras sat in the café, balancing a book on the table with one hand, his other constantly under either frozen vegetables or bags of ice. Every few minutes, Éponine would glance over to make sure he wasn't trying to use his injured hand.

"So who'd he punch?" Cosette asked nonchalantly as she cleaned out the latte machine. Éponine looked over, pausing in her task of wiping down the counter.

"He's going to tell everyone tonight," Éponine said, shrugging slightly as she resumed cleaning.

"Was he defending your honor?" Cosette teased. When Éponine didn't respond, however, the smile dropped off Cosette's face. "He was!"

"Hush!" Éponine hissed, glancing over to where Enjolras sat. He didn't seem to have overheard. "He wasn't really _defending my honor_ but he kind of punched the guy for saying some indecent things about me…"

"So he was defending your honor." Cosette confirmed, albeit quieter this time. "Well, this is new information. I told you that you were interested in him."

"I… uh, well…we _may_ have kissed…"

"WHAT?" Cosette yelled, immediately covering her mouth with her hands. Enjolras looked up at the sound, his expression questioning. Éponine waved her hands, trying to force an expression of humor on her face.

"Inside joke!" She called, to which Enjolras raised an eyebrow, before returning to his book.

"Okay, sorry I'll be quiet now." Cosette promised, a grin still covering her face. "So, you guys kissed, and…"

"And what?"

"And… like are you dating? Are you in love? When's the wedding?"

"Woah, Cosette, calm down." Éponine said, holding up her hands. "We're not dating, and we're certainly not getting married."

"You're not dating?" Cosette frowned, crossing her arms in front of her chest. "Clearly you both have feelings for each other, right?" Éponine shrugged. "You do. So, why aren't you dating?"

"I'm not going to ask him!" Éponine hissed, looking over at Enjolras again. "I don't even know what I want."

"Please, you want to date our resident marble man, don't lie." Cosestte teased, catching the dishtowel that Éponine threw at her. Éponine sighed, sitting down on a stool.

"I don't know. I don't _do _this, you know?" She said, running a hand through her hair. "I don't _date, _I sort of just…I don't know. What if I suck at it?"

"Well, if we're being honest, he hasn't the faintest idea what he's doing either." Cosette said quietly, jerking her head to the corner that Enjolras was occupying. "You guys can just figure it out together."

"I hope so."

* * *

Several hours later, the meeting of the ABC Society was drawing to a close. Grantaire was hammered, Joly was gingerly picking up empty beer bottles with two fingers, and Courfeyrac was flipping through his phone contacts, debating (out loud) which "lady friend" he should text.

"Well, Enjolras, are you going to tell us what happened with your hand, or are we going to have to ask Éponine ?" Joly questioned, the last beer bottle finally in the trash. Enjolras turned, giving him a look.

"Yeah, Enjolras, what happened to your hand?"

"Why would Éponine know?"

"Did you hit Éponine ?"

The last question came from Grantaire, whose mouth was hanging open with shock at the thought. Enjolras turned, rolling his eyes.

"No, R, I didn't hit Éponine ." He said lowly, the thought of it making him sick to his stomach. "We were both at the soup kitchen today." The other members of the ABC Society nodded in comprehension.

"How did it go?" Marius questioned, frowning at he hit his laptop. "By the way, I have some sort of issue with my hard drive, so I'll give this back to you as soon as I fix it."

Enjolras nodded in acknowledgement, before turning back to the group. "As you guys know, Éponine went into the soup kitchen with fake information and an extremely low salary. She was rejected, and…" Enjolras trailed off, turning to face Éponine .

"The woman at the front desk suggested I set up an exchange of food for sex with Enjolras's boss." She said bluntly. Joly gasped, his hands flying to his mouth. Bahorel stood up, cracking his knuckles.

"He made several lewd comments to Éponine when she was in line for food." Enjolras said, leaving out the fact that Éponine knew John before. "I got a bit fed up with him."

"A bit?" Joly questioned, staring at his hand, which was still covered by an ice pack. "You almost broke your hand."

"He broke John's nose, though." Éponine supplied, smiling fondly at the law student. He returned his smile, shrugging slightly.

"He deserved it."

"Well that's _awfully_ nice of you to jump to Éponine's defense." Cosette said sweetly. Éponine turned to glare at the other girl.

"It was very _dashing_ of you, Enjolras, that's for sure." Joly said, joining in. Enjolras's face had already turned bright red, and Éponine was gradually blushing.

"What's going on…" Combeferre said slowly, looking between Enjolras and Éponine with confusion.

"They're together!" Joly said triumphantly, unable to control himself any longer.

"No we're not." Éponine said immediately.

"We're not?" Enjolras questioned quietly, seeming to forget that all of their friends were in the room. Éponine blushed deeper, aware of everyone's attention on the pair.

"Éponine has a point!" Joly said, jumping in to save the girl from embarrassment. "Did you actually _ask _her if she wanted to be your girlfriend, or did you just kiss her."

"That's hardly any of your – "

"ENJOLRAS kissed a girl?" Grantaire, Courfeyrac and Marius all asked incredulously.

"It's none of your – "

"He can't just assume that since he kissed her that they're dating, right?" Joly said, looking around for confirmation.

"If that was true, Courf would have about twenty seven girlfriends."

"I heard that!"

"When did all of this start?"

"I didn't think Enjolras had it in him, to be honest…"

"Is that why she's staying with him?"

"But shouldn't he ask her to be his girlfriend…"

"Éponine might just ask him herself, to be honest."

"I asked Cosette to be my girlfriend…"

"We _know_ Marius, we've heard the story at least sixteen times…"

"In any case," Cosette yelled, causing all the men to stop talking and look at her. "It is up to Éponine and Enjolras to discuss, not all of you. If any of you had been paying attention, you would see that they have left."

Combeferre blinked, looking around. "Where did they go?"

"I don't know." Cosette lied; she had seen them slip out the side door together. In the midst of all the discussion, Enjolras had stood up, leaving his bag of ice behind. He grabbed Éponine's hand, pulling her out the side door silently.

"Let's listen at the door!" Grantaire suggested, and half the men stood from their chairs.

"Sit down, all of you." Cosette ordered, her voice menacing. They all sat back down slowly. "Now, we're all excited, but we have to _leave them alone._ You know this is weird for both of them, do _not_ make it weirder, understood?" The men all nodded meekly, moodily turning back to their beers and coffees.

"Just one more thing," Joly said, raising a hand. Cosette looked over, nodding at him. "I saw them kissing in the street today. They seemed to be enjoying themselves."

"Guess he was less of a marble man than we thought." Grantaire said, raising his beer in a mock toast toward the side door.

Cosette smiled, leaning into Marius, who was standing behind her. "Even marble cracks." She murmured.

* * *

In the alley on the side of the café, Enjolras was grinning.

"You're sure?" he asked, trying to keep his voice in check. He had never felt so happy, or _giddy_ before. He felt like Marius.

"I'm sure." Éponine confirmed, also smiling.

"I'm going to be such shit at this." Enjolras warned, running his good hand down the side of Éponine's face. She shrugged, placing her hand over his, holding it against her cheek.

"I will be too." She said, resting her other hand on Enjolras's hips. She looped her fingers through his belt loop, drawing his body closer to hers. "We can figure it out together." She said, repeating Cosette's advice from earlier.

"I can't believe I have a girlfriend." Enjolras said, laughing slightly at the thought. Éponine smiled as well. "I'm happy." Enjolras confessed, trying to fight the smile off his face.

Éponine giggled, feeling like a fourteen-year-old lovesick puppy. "Me too." She said breathlessly, reaching up to nuzzle her nose against Enjolras's.

"Ready to go home?" He whispered, his lips centimeters away from Éponine's. She nodded, connecting her mouth to his, kissing him quick and hard.

"Lead the way."

* * *

**FLUFF. Just pure fluff. Like. I can't even. I have lost the ability to can. I blame all this on a REALLY adorable snapchat I got from this guy I like last night (still flailing and it was like 20 hours ago) SO SORRY FOR THE LACK OF PLOT. BUT I'M NOT REALLY SORRY. **

**Drama will pick up again. But YAY for cuteness. Drop me a review, kids :D they feed my soul. xoxo Brittany **

**PS GUYS I know I've mentioned my favorite person JESS on here before BUT if you're not already reading her (SleepingwithinWater) fic "Teacher of Man" yet, I wonder what is wrong with you.**


	13. Chapter 13: The Intruder

**There can only be fluff for so long. I hate pure fluff all the time. BACK TO THE DRAMA. **

* * *

Chapter 13: The Intruder

"You both owe me a fiver." Courfeyrac said triumphantly, holding a hand out to Combeferre and Cosette. Combeferre moodily slapped the bill into Courfeyrac's hand, rolling his eyes slightly. Cosette, on the other hand, happily handed the money over.

"I'm glad they're together!" She said, smiling widely. She looked past Courfeyrac to where Éponine and Enjolras were sitting together, heads bent over a myriad of papers. They were talking quietly, though Éponine would laugh every few seconds, sometimes covering her mouth with one hand and reaching over to lightly slap Enjolras's arm.

"I don't know what could possibly be that funny," Grantaire said, coming to stand next to Cosette. He took a swig of beer. "They've been together, what, two days? And now they're acting worse than you and Marius."

"I resent that," Cosette said flatly, looking sideways at Grantaire. "Though I'll agree we were pretty bad in the beginning."

"Pretty bad?" Combeferre joked, his eyebrows raised. "You were practically doing it in the middle of the café!"

"At least Éponine and Enjolras won't do that."

"Won't do what?" The aforementioned pair had made their way over to their group of friends, and had caught Combeferre's statement.

Cosette quickly tried to come up with something, but Grantaire jumped in. "You know, have sex in the café."

Enjolras's face flushed a deep crimson and Éponine laughed, rolling her eyes at Grantaire. "As if, R. That wouldn't happen."

"Yes, these things are private." Enjolras said diplomatically, recovering from his embarrassment. Grantaire snorted.

"Already done it, hmm? Didn't think that would happen so fast."

"Anyway," Éponine said, saving Enjolras from the embarrassment. "None of this is any of your business." She directed the last part at Grantaire, before making eye contact with Cosette, who raised her eyes as if to say _we'll talk about it later. _

"Courf, can we go over that map again?" Enjolras said suddenly, desperate to change the topic. Courfeyrac nodded, stuffing his bet winnings into his pocket. Enjolras looked at him suspiciously. "Where did you get that money?" He questioned, his eyes narrowing.

"Oh uh…" Courfeyrac said, trailing off. He looked helplessly at Combeferre, who was laughing silently.

"These assholes," Grantaire said, pointing to Courfeyrac, Combeferre and Cosette in turn. "Took bets on when you and Éponine would get together. I believe they each took different weeks, yes?" He prompted, but the other three were too busy glaring at him to answer.

"I take it you won, then?" Enjolras asked stiffly. Courfeyrac looked down, shuffling his feet.

"Yes." He said, chancing a look up. "I took the first week."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence," Enjolras said suddenly, a small smile appearing on his face. "I'm glad someone thinks I'm capable of making a move."

Éponine snorted, laughing at the look on Cosette and Combeferre's faces. Grantaire's mouth had dropped open.

"Did you just…make a joke?" He asked incredulously, gaping at Enjolras.

"It's been known to happen." Enjolras replied, shrugging his shoulders. Grantaire shook his head in disbelief.

"No, it hasn't. Hell has officially frozen over!" He said loudly, attracting the attention of the others in the café. Joly, Bahorel and Feuilly all looked up at the exclamation. "Enjolras made a _joke._"

Enjolras rolled his eyes, grabbing Courfeyrac's elbow and dragging him to the table in the corner. There were several maps of Paris set up, all marked with different potential places for their next rally.

"Combeferre, you'd better come look at this too." Enjolras called. Grantaire rolled his eyes, moodily taking a swig of his beer.

"I apparently cannot look at the map." He said, looking around. He received no answer; Cosette and Éponine had gone to the other side of the counter, and had their heads together, talking quietly.

Grantaire rolled his eyes. "Girls." He muttered, before going to join his friends.

* * *

"Okay, so what's the sleeping situation." Cosette asked, resting her chin in her hands. Éponine took a sip of her tea, wincing slightly at the bitter taste. She reached around Cosette to grab the sugar.

"What do you mean? I'm still staying with him, if that's what you're asking." Éponine said, dumping a large quantity of sweetener into her tea. She accepted the spoon handed to her by Cosette, who was frowning.

"Not what I was asking." She said, her voice dropping. "I mean the _sleeping_ situation. Like are you sharing a bed?"

Éponine, who had been about to take a sip of tea, put her mug down slowly. "No…" she said, trailing off. They had only been dating for a little over a day and a half.

"Well why not?" Cosette asked, her eyebrows furrowed. "I'm sure you both _want_ to."

"But that might lead to…other things…" Éponine said lamely, trailing off. She could feel her face steadily heating up.

"Please don't try to tell me you're not interested in sleeping with that."

"Sleeping with what?" Marius asked, causing both girls to jump. He was leaning against the counter on his elbows.

"Go away," Cosette said flatly, shooing him away with a hand. "I'll talk to you later."

Marius looked like a lost puppy for several seconds, before Cosette's glare prompted him to push off the counter and sulk away. He walked over to Enjolras's group, where he was also ignored.

"No one wants to talk to me." He muttered, before moodily picking up his computer and opening it, occupying a table alone.

"I hate when girl talk is interrupted," Cosette said decisively, leaning back in her chair. "Even if it was by my boyfriend. Anyway, so you want to sleep with Enjolras." She prompted, motioning for Éponine to answer.

"I didn't say that."

"But you want to."

Éponine shrugged, letting her eyes trail to where Enjolras was pacing in front of his maps. The revolutionary side of him was captivating, all agitated movements and beautiful words. He was eloquent, poetic and biting harsh, with the best intentions and wonderful ideals.

It was the other side of him, however, that Éponine liked the most: the softer side. The side of Enjolras that pleaded with her – a girl he had just met – to come and stay with him. The side that had punched a man to defend her, the side that had frustratingly tried to grate out his feelings on a side street just days before. She liked the radical, revolutionary side, but she loved the quiet, gentle and soft-spoken side even more.

For the first time she felt _content._ She had a respectable, intelligent, and all around _great_ boyfriend – something she had never, ever had; she had never even thought herself capable of it. After Montparnasse and her previous…occupation, she had not held out much hope for her future.

That being said, Éponine could not have been any happier. Sure, she was always going to hold onto the independent part of her personality; she knew she could take care of herself. She didn't _need _anyone, not even Enjolras.

But it was sure as hell nice to have him.

Were it anyone else, Éponine would have wanted to jump into a physical relationship immediately. Enjolras, however, was not just anyone. He was…different, for lack of a better word. Éponine did not want to mess anything up by trying to take it too fast. She knew he hadn't had a girlfriend, and she knew that his experience in the area of sex was much less than hers. She also knew that he was aware of her past at the docks, and she didn't want to give him the impression that he wasn't special, or important to her by trying to sleep with him immediately.

"Physically, I want to." Éponine said slowly, finally answering Cosette's question. "Just…this might actually _be_ something, you know? This doesn't feel like a fling, or something unimportant, and I don't want to screw it up by trying to move it along too fast."

Cosette nodded slowly, considering Éponine's words. "I get what you mean." She said. "Sometimes it can be a lot of fun leading up to the sex, you know? Like the teasing, and the hand holding, and feeling like you're fourteen again, crushing on a boy across a classroom." Cosette said wistfully. "Once you bring sex into it, it can take away the childishness, you know?"

Éponine nodded, trying to understand. She had never had a conventional relationship.

Cosette leaned forward, patting the top of Éponine's hand. "It will be fine," she said, trying to be reassuring. She vaguely knew of Éponine's previous year, and the hardships she had endured. Cosette imagined that trying to figure out a relationship with Enjolras could not be very easy.

"While we're on the topic, though…" Cosette said slyly, smirking. "How does the marble man kiss?"

Éponine laughed loudly, bringing a hand to cover her mouth. "Amazingly," she admitted, ignoring the fluttering in her stomach at the thought. "I thought, having never had a girlfriend…"

"Enjolras has had a fling or two," Cosette said, shrugging her shoulders. "There was this one girl that we thought was actually going to win him over. She was smart – convinced him to go on a date with her. He came back and very shortly told us that she was actually interested in what he had to say about the ABC Society. After like…two weeks he came in and told us he was wrong. Combeferre told us later that she had pretended to be interested because she had made a bet with her friends that she could sleep with the 'seemingly chaste law student'."

Éponine covered her mouth with both hands, horrified that someone had done that to Enjolras. "All the more reason not to immediately try to sleep with him." She muttered to herself.

"You're a lot different, though." Cosette said thoughtfully, regarding Éponine over her cup of tea. "You're actually smart, and legitimately interested in what Enjolras believes in. I think…I think he knew he might have feelings for you, and that's one of the reasons why he asked you to do the soup kitchen the other day. To check, you know? Because if you didn't agree, he might be suspicious."

"But I did it."

"And now you're dating." Cosette said with finality, smiling at the look on Éponine's face. "You know, I never understood why the guys all called him the marble man. I say it as a joke, but it's not true. You can't care about the people like Enjolras does, and have no emotions. I'd say he has _more_ emotions than most of these guys…except maybe Jehan." Cosette added as an afterthought. "But seriously, someone who cares that much about strangers was bound to find a person to care about sooner or later."

Éponine's mind was reeling. She didn't think she could have picked a more complicated man to date.

"Don't worry," Cosette said, seeming to read her mind. "It's going to be fine. Enjolras is smart, and he's bound to have picked up a thing or two about relationships after being around the other guys. You guys can figure this all out together – no pressure. You know you like him, and clearly he likes you, and that will be enough until you fall into a routine."

Éponine took a deep breath, exhaling slowly. "I'm afraid of liking him too much….of needing him too much. I don't want to need _anyone_, especially not a boyfriend who thinks I'm weak."

"First of all, no one would ever think you were weak, Éponine." Cosette said sternly. "Second of all, you don't _need_ Enjolras, and you never will physically need him. You don't need a guy to be there for you, you have to _want _him there. There's a difference…we're not damsels in distress, right? We don't need to be saved. We need partners; men who will stand _with _us, not in front of us. Men who rely on us as much as we rely on them. You get what I'm saying?"

"Equality, Enjolras would like that." Éponine said, laughing slightly. Cosette giggled, glancing to the side where the law student was standing.

"I told you that first night that I detected something." Cosette teased, bumping Éponine's arm with her own. Éponine laughed, blushing as she thought back.

"Guess you were right," Éponine said, shrugging her shoulders.

"I could tell something was different with him when he walked in the door. He had just met you at the soup kitchen and he seemed…agitated…and just…off. And then you came in afterwards, and he seemed better than I had ever seen him. That's how I knew."

In lieu of response, Éponine glanced to her left to peek at Enjolras. She was surprised to see that he was already looking at her, however. His face tinged pink when they made eye contact, and he smiled, raising a hand to rub the back of his neck. Cosette was right, Éponine decided as she smiled back at him. She never wanted to lose this innocent, almost child-like dynamic.

"Guess I should go apologize to my own boyfriend," Cosette said, sighing as she stood from her seat. Éponine laughed, eyes straying to where Marius sat, hunched over his computer. Cosette walked over to him, putting a hand on his shoulder, squeezing gently.

Éponine stood up as well, aware that Enjolras's eyes were still watching her. She walked past Cosette and Marius, catching snippets of their conversation.

"I don't know what's wrong with it," Marius said, his eyebrows furrowed as he pressed various buttons. "The webcam won't open, the sound isn't working and a couple of my folders have been moved…"

"Maybe you can take it to a shop to get it fixed…" Cosette suggested, to which Marius shook his head.

"I'm a computer science major, I can figure this out," he said determinedly, focusing his attention back on his screen. Cosette rolled her eyes, taking a seat next to him to try to be of any help. Eponine smiled to herself, passing the other couple and making her way to Enjolras.

"Hi," Éponine said quietly as she approached the table where Enjolras was standing. He smiled slightly, putting an arm around her shoulders and pulling her body to his.

"Hey," he said, dropping a kiss on the top of her head. Taking this as their cue, Combeferre and Courfeyrac both stood from their chairs and walked toward the rest of the group.

"What have you decided?" Éponine asked, turning around and leaning her back into Enjolras's chest. She flushed when she felt his arms encircle her waist, his hands resting on her stomach.

"Well," he said in her ear, his hot breath giving her butterflies. "Next Saturday, we're thinking a place a little more public, maybe near Notre Dame…"

He continued speaking, but Éponine was no longer paying attention to his words. The combined effect of his body flush against hers and his breath in her ear was too intoxicating to warrant coherent thought.

"Are you listening?" Enjolras asked uncertainly. Éponine blushed promptly, mentally smacking herself. Had she been that obvious?

"Yes, near Notre Dame." Éponine said, trying to recall the last thing she had heard Enjolras say. He sighed, his grip around her waist loosening.

"I said that awhile ago."

"No, Enjolras, I was paying attention." Éponine said quickly, twisting to face him. She could see the disappointment on his face, and she recalled Cosette's story about the last girl he had "dated", the one that had only pretended to care about his causes. "It's just…if we're being honest…" she stopped, uncertain. He nodded, prompting her to continue. "It's very hard to pay attention when you're so close to me..." She trailed off, hoping he would understand. Instead of confusion, a smug smile came onto his face.

"I'm glad I have that effect on you," he said, smirking. Éponine laughed, smacking him on the arm.

"Don't get cocky," she teased, laying a hand on his chest.

"At least I know what to do to distract you," he said decisively, and she nodded, leaning up on her tiptoes to press a quick kiss to his lips. "Are you ready to go?" Enjolras asked, mumbling against her lips. Éponine nodded.

"Whenever you are,"

Ten minutes later, the pair was in Enjolras's car, the radio playing (Éponine finally felt she had the authority to turn it on). It was a short drive to the apartment, and only a few minutes after their departure, Enjolras was pulling into a parking spot. He cut the engine, turning off the lights and handing the keys to Éponine.

"Can you go ahead of me and unlock the door?" he asked. "I have to grab all those maps and books."

"Do you need help?"

"Nah, just with the door."

Éponine nodded, jingling the keys in her hand before setting off up the stairs to the apartment door. Enjolras popped the trunk, loading up his arms with maps, balancing the books precariously on top. He shouldered the car trunk closed, hoisting the load he was carrying before slowly making his way to the stairs.

He took them one at a time, peering around the side to make sure he wasn't about to run into anyone. His door was ajar, and he unconsciously smiled, thinking of Éponine waiting for him. He walked in the door, pushing it closed behind him with his elbow.

Enjolras was about to throw the maps and books on the table, when an unmistakable click of a gun stopped him in his tracks. Before he could react, the books were knocked out of his hands, the maps flying to the floor. Enjolras was hit over the head with the hard metal of a gun, and he fell to the floor, nearly unconscious.

Through watering eyes, Enjolras peered up at a man he had never seen before. A man that had Éponine by the throat, a gun against her temple.

"Why don't we have a chat, pretty boy."

* * *

**Oh my gosh. I'm so nervous. Okay SO. I said there would be drama. There is going to be a lot in the next chapter, with quite a bit of violence, which isn't something I'm used to writing. I hope you guys enjoyed this one, despite its dramatic ending! Let me know what you think, and I'll have another one up (hopefully) this weekend! xoxo Brittany **


	14. Chapter 14: The Bullets

**Okay you guys. Major trigger warnings in this one – violence, abuse, and rape. Nothing CRAZY detailed (because I don't want to write it) but just keep in mind that this is an intense one. **

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Chapter Fourteen: The Bullets

Enjolras couldn't remember a time he had been more scared.

He wasn't afraid for himself; he was sure that his head wound would be fine. What filled him with absolute terror was the look on Éponine's face; he had never seen anyone look so afraid. Montparnasse was gripping her throat in his hand, while his other hand held the gun, the point trained on Éponine's temple. Enjolras barely dared to breathe.

"A chat…?" Enjolras questioned, trailing off. He didn't want to answer Montparnasse, but he would say anything – _anything -_ for him to move the gun from Éponine's head.

"A chat, pretty boy." Montparnasse confirmed lightly, a sick smile coming over his features. "I don't like when people take my things."

"Take your things?"

"Listen," Montparnasse growled, throwing Éponine to the floor with a crash. She managed to catch herself, coming down hard on both hands. "I know you're not stupid, so don't act it, you understand?" Montparnasse rested a heavy boot against Enjolras's chest, pushing him back to the floor. Enjolras nodded mutely.

"Éponine Thenardier," Montparnasse said, stepping away from Enjolras. "Belongs to me." He picked Éponine's head up by her hair, and she whimpered in pain. "Don't cry," he said, in a sickeningly sweet voice. He ran the end of the gun down Éponine's face.

Enjolras glanced around, trying not to draw attention to himself. His phone was in his back pocket; he could feel it pressing through his jeans. If only he could get it out, and he could text any one of his friends. Montparnasse, however, had turned back to him, and Enjolras forced his attention away from the phone trapped beneath his body.

"How does it feel to be fucking my woman?" Montparnasse asked lightly, still holding Éponine by the hair. She was gripping his wrist with both hands, trying to stop her own body weight from pulling the hair from her roots.

"I'm not sleeping with Éponine."

"But you love her, do you?" Montparnasse said, rolling his eyes. "The smart little law student is too… what? Focused on his studies to fuck a nice piece like this?"

"Don't talk about her like that." Enjolras said harshly. He ignored the small, almost imperceptible shake of Éponine's head. She was clearly telling him that this was not the time to defend her honor.

"So, you admit it, you're together."

"No." Enjolras said shortly, glancing at Éponine. "We're not together. She's living here for the time being, but we're not together."

"Funny," Montparnasse said slowly, looking down at Éponine. "Because you know who came into the Inn last night, 'Ponine?" She said nothing, just looked at him with watering eyes. "John McCue, your little boyfriend's boss. Had a broken nose. Do you know anything about that?"

Éponine shook her head, eyes determined. Montparnasse's face hardened, and he pulled Éponine's head back by the hair, eliciting a shriek from her mouth. "Really?" He asked, practically yelling. "Because I think that your boyfriend over here decked him because he was trying to set up _sleeping with you. _As if that's something you _wouldn't do. _Don't you remember how it used to be?"

"Of course I do," Éponine sobbed, her fingers ripping at Montparnasse's hands to free her hair.

"But you found a way out, did you? All of a sudden you meet some students, start working in some café, and you're all better now?" Éponine said nothing, her eyes darting quickly to Enjolras, who was working on getting his phone out of his pocket. She had to keep Montparnasse talking.

"Yes," Éponine confirmed, looking directly into Montparnasse's eyes. He still had the gun in his hand, and if he turned around while Enjolras was trying to get his phone…

"So you're not a whore anymore, then?" Montparnasse snorted, rolling his eyes. "All of a sudden you start dating some law student and the last three years of your life are gone? You don't think he's going to be disgusted by you, Éponine? You don't think one day he's going to wake up and realize that you're a gutter rat, and that you always have been? He's going to realize he found a bitch that's been with half of Paris and he's not going to want you anymore. And then what are you going to do? Come crawling back to me." Montparnasse finished.

"That's not how it is anymore." Éponine said harshly.

"That is how it's always going to be." Montparnasse said with finality. "You will always come back to me, because you're always going to _have_ to come back to me. And you know what? I'm going to make _sure_ you have to."

At this, Éponine froze, her fear for Enjolras growing exponentially.

"What do you mean?" she whispered, and Montparnasse smiled, slowly letting go of her hair.

"You're not the only gutter rat who knows about the little revolutionary group." Montparnasse said, smirking at the look of surprise on Éponine's face. "The police know about the little hacks into the President's email. It's just a matter of time before those guys are taken down, and you're going to go right down with them."

"How..." Éponine questioned, trailing off.

"Tell me, Éponine, would it really have been that horrible to have a child with me?"

Éponine's blood ran cold. She heard a sharp intake of breath from Enjolras, though Montparnasse was focused solely on Éponine. "I was never pregnant." She said quietly.

"I know, 'Ponine, and that's a shame. We can fix that, though, and that's why I'm here."

Enjolras recognized the implication of the words immediately. His eyes widened in horror, and he scrambled to his feet, looking around blindly for any way to defend himself.

As Enjolras had led a life of books, Montparnasse had led a life of violence. He was much quicker than Enjolras, and within seconds had the law student back on the ground, out cold. He turned back to Éponine, setting the gun down on the table.

"Shall we?"

* * *

"Did you guys get this text?" Combeferre frowned, staring at his frown. "Help" was the only word that had come from Enjolras.

"From who?" Courfeyrac yawned, flopping his body onto the couch. Combeferre held the phone out for his friend to read. Courfeyrac shrugged. "I didn't get it…do you think he's okay?"

"Let me call him quick." Combeferre said, holding his phone to his ear. After several seconds, he put it down, a frown on his face. "No answer…do you think we should go over there?"

"Go over where?" Grantaire questioned, coming into the room, a beer in hand.

"When did you get here?" Combeferre asked, to which Grantaire shrugged.

"I just followed you back from the café…where are we going?"

"I got this weird text from Enjorlas…" He handed the phone to Grantaire, who peered at the screen.

"Did you call him?"

"No answer."

"It wouldn't hurt to go over there…" Courfeyrac said nervously, checking his watch.

Combeferre pulled out his key ring, jingling it slightly. He still had a copy of Enjolras's apartment key, for emergencies. "Let's go." He said, leading the way to the door. Grantaire held up a hand, as he chugged his beer. He put the empty bottle back on the counter, before following Combeferre to the door.

"Wait!" Grantaire said suddenly, as Courfeyrac was locking the door. Grantiare pushed himself back into the doorway, grabbing a baseball bat that was leaning against the wall. He stepped back outside, shrugging at the confused looks on his friend's faces.

"You never know."

* * *

Pain was the only thing Enjolras could feel. He couldn't possibly open his eyes; his eyelids weighed at least a hundred pounds each. His head was throbbing, and he wouldn't have been surprised if his skull had cracked in two. A dull ache pulsed through his body as he tried to remember…where was he?

It all came back at once: Montparnasse, the gun, and Éponine. _Éponine._

Enjolras bolted upright, his eyes snapping open. He looked around, his head moving side to side as quickly as possible. He ignored the pain, and focused on one thing: finding her.

He stood up, forcing himself to be calm. He strained his ears, trying to hear something, _anything. _A few seconds later, he heard it.

Sobbing. Hysterical sobbing. Right down the hall.

Enjolras flew into motion, running into the kitchen and pulling the largest knife he owned out of the block. He braced himself, rolling his shoulders slightly, before walking as quickly and quietly as he could back towards the bedrooms of his apartment. He knew his text to Combeferre had gone through; otherwise, he would have called the police. He didn't have time to wait for the police now. Montparnasse was with his _girlfriend_ dammit, and he had to do something.

The door was open as Enjolras approached, and he immediately felt sick. He could see Montparnasse naked, completely on top of Éponine. The bottom of Éponine's legs were visible, the rest of her body trapped, stomach down, beneath Montparnasse. He was holding her head down, muffling her sobs into the blankets. One of Éponine's hands was trapped beneath her own body, the other was held tightly by Montparnasse's free hand.

Enjolras stared in horror for several seconds before snapping out of his reverie. He took a step forward, forgetting that the wood floor outside of Éponine's room creaked. The sound jarred Montparnasse, who let go of Éponine's head to turn and face Enjorlas. At the sight of the shaking law student standing in the doorway holding a knife, Montparnasse laughed.

Montparnasse pulled himself out of Éponine, keeping eye contact with Enjolras as he did so. With Montparnasse's weight off of her, Éponine tried to move, though a shooting pain in her ribs made her stop in her tracks.

Montparnasse stalked toward Enjolras, twisting the knife out of his hands and throwing it back into the hallway. Montparnasse was a gang member, and a fighter, running on pure adrenaline. Enjolras had just woken from being unconscious with a head injury, and was dealing with the emotional weight of seeing his girlfriend raped in front of him. It was not a fair fight.

Éponine squeezed her eyes shut as she heard Montparnasse's fist connect with Enjolras's jaw. She had to find some way to help him…if only she could move. She knew that she had at least some broken ribs and a dislocated knee. She took a deep breath, ignoring the stabbing pain in her lungs; she was short of breath from Montparnasse's body on top of her. As Éponine heard each punch meet her boyfriend's body, however, a new wave of determination flooded through her.

She knew how Montparnasse fought; she had seen it for years. He toyed with his victims, bringing them to brink of death, before finishing them off with a single stroke of a knife, or the bullet of a gun. Éponine's eyes widened. She had to find that gun.

Without drawing too much attention to herself, Éponine painfully raised her body from the bed, looking around for the gun. She finally spotted it on the side table next to the bed, just barely out of reach. She pulled herself with her arms, ignoring the agony in her chest, reaching to silently lift the gun off the table.

She could just shoot Montparnasse. It would end a lot of problems for her, and for Enjolras. Her hands were shaking like crazy, however, and she didn't trust her aim enough to shoot straight; she didn't want to accidentally hit Enjolras. Éponine looked around desperately, trying to think of something to do. She looked at the gun in her hands, feeling the cold metal penetrate the skin of her shaking fingers.

She didn't want to fire the gun… but there was one thing she_ could _do.

* * *

Enjolras knew he was beat. He had known it when the fight started, and he certainly knew it now. Through watering eyes he looked at Montparnasse, who was standing over him triumphantly. He smirked at the law student, before walking around the end of the bed to retrieve his gun. He cracked his neck, throwing a smile at Éponine, who was propping herself up on the bed with shaking arms.

"This is what happens, 'Ponine, when you think you're too good for me." Montparnasse said sweetly, before raising the gun, placing the point against Enjolras's forehead. Enjolras tried to move away, but was met with the wall of the bedroom. He had nowhere to go.

"I fucked your girlfriend, and I'll do it until she's pregnant with my kid. She was always mine, pretty boy, and all she's going to remember of you is how I painted the walls with your blood." Enjolras said nothing, throwing a glance to Éponine. Tears were streaming down her face, though Enjolras couldn't miss the small gleam of defiance in her eyes. He turned back to Montparnasse, forcing himself to look the man in the eyes.

Without another word, Montparnasse pulled the trigger. A small click was heard, and Enjolras closed his eyes, thinking himself a dead man. There was no bullet, however, just air.

"What the fuck?" Montparnasse murmured, pulling the trigger again. Another click, and no bullet.

Montparnasse pulled the trigger four more times, and each time yielded no bullet. He rounded on Éponine, his revenge on Enjolras forgotten.

"What did you do, you bitch?" He screamed. Éponine looked past him to the doorway, where three men stood, the one in front holding a baseball bat.

Montparnasse wheeled around, coming face to face with Grantaire, Combeferre and Courfeyrac. From his vantage point on the floor, Enjolras choked out a wheezing laugh.

"Guess you should have kept a better eye on me." Éponine said harshly. Montparnasse turned around again, watching as Éponine dropped the six bullets from her hand to the floor.

That was the last thing Montparnasse saw before he was knocked unconscious.

* * *

**JESUS that was difficult to write. Hopefully the violence wasn't too bad (I'm much better at fluff and smut). I came up with the bullets idea today – I just texted Jess (SleepingwithinWater) "IT INVOLVES A GUN WITH NO BULLETS" and she was very confused. **

**Hope everyone enjoyed! I wanted to make sure to follow up Cosette and Éponine's discussion last chapter with this scene – kinda like Enjolras didn't run in to be Éponine's knight in shining armor… it was a JOINT effort with both of them helping each other :D **

**Let me know what you guys think, and what you want to see next; I'd love to hear from you all! xoxo Brittany **


	15. Chapter 15: The Emergency Room

**Hello everyone! Sorry for the short delay with this one, I was in Florida with my parents for the long holiday weekend (happy fourth to the Americans!) Thank you all for the response to the last one, I appreciate it ESPECIALLY since it was a hard one for me to write! **

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**Chapter 15: The Emergency Room **

"Where is Enjolras?"

Éponine had been unconscious and silent for over three hours, hooked up to various machines in the critical care area of the hospital. Her sudden question startled Grantaire and Combeferre, who were sitting vigil at her bed. Courfeyrac was next door, sitting with Enjolras.

"Hi, Éponine, how are you feeling?" Combeferre asked kindly, though Éponine ignored him.

"Where is Enjolras?" She asked again, this time with more urgency. Her eyes were drooping with exhaustion from the sedative dripping into her arm, though her words were imploring.

"He's next door, he's okay." Combeferre said gently. Grantaire rubbed his eyes, leaning over to pour some water for Éponine.

"Here, drink something." He prompted, holding a paper cup out to the girl on the bed. She shook her head distractedly, turning back to Combeferre.

"Is he awake?"

"I can go check." Grantaire offered, standing up from his seat. He stretched his back, raising his arms over his head. He exited the room, leaving Éponine alone with Combeferre.

The awkward silence was broken by the sporadic beeping of the machines in the room. Éponine strained her mind, trying to remember exactly what had happened back at Enjolras's apartment. She remembered Montparnassse – the dull ache between her legs was enough to remind her of that. She remembered the sick crunches of fists against Enjolras's body, and the thought made her stomach turn.

Éponine was about to ask Combeferre a question, when the door opened. A middle-aged doctor walked in, a stethoscope hanging from his neck, a coffee in one hand. He smiled tiredly at the pair, placing his coffee on the side table and taking a seat in a chair next to Éponine's bed.

"How are we feeling?" He asked, appraising her. "I'm glad to see you're finally awake."

"I can't really feel much of my body." Éponine admitted. Her entire body was numb from the painkillers they gave her at the hospital, and her body felt as though it weighed a thousand pounds.

"That's to be expected. Are you having any standout pain?" The doctor questioned, making a note on his chart. Éponine shrugged.

"No," she said. "What exactly is wrong with me?"

"You were brought in here with the young man next door by your three friends." The doctor started, nodding toward Combeferre. "You had several injuries, including three broken ribs, a fractured knee cap, and evidence of…nonconsensual penetration." Éponine nodded, trying to keep the tears from her eyes. _That_ she remembered vividly.

"Your bodily injuries will heal quickly enough." The doctor said, flipping through the chart. "The rib breaks were clean, and thankfully missed all major organs. We were waiting for you to wake up to ask you about the other…situation."

Combeferre shifted awkwardly in his seat, glancing at Éponine. "Maybe I should…" He started, but Éponine's hand shot out to grab his wrist.

"No, please. Stay." She pleaded, aware of how desperate she sounded. Independence be damned, she didn't want to be alone.

"Okay." Combeferre said, smiling slightly as he squeezed Éponine's hand with his own. He looked back to the doctor.

"We need to discuss what you want to do regarding the possibility of pregnancy." The doctor said slowly, putting down his chart to regard Éponine fully. "The initial test that was done when you came in revealed a definite possibility of…completion. You could very well fall pregnant."

"What can be done?" Éponine asked dully, hating the thought immediately. If she was going to have any children, she certainly didn't want the father to be Montparnasse, especially in the manner of the previous night.

"We can give you a pill, and that will prevent you from becoming pregnant. It's not an abortion…it's a preventative measure to make sure that sperm and egg never meet. As of the moment, you're not pregnant, but we can't say for sure what could happen."

"How long do I have to make this decision?" Éponine asked, raising a hand to rub her eyes. It was a lot to take in at once.

"72 hours at most." The doctor said, checking his watch. "Based on when you came in, you have until a little under three days from now."

"Okay." Éponine said, looking over to Combeferre. He shrugged slightly, squeezing her hand again.

"It's entirely up to you."

"I want to talk to Enjolras." She said firmly. How quickly her life had changed that she had to involve someone else in her life plan. The thought made her simultaneously nauseous and elated.

"I'm sure he already has a well thought out stance on the issue." Combeferre said lightly, to which Éponine cracked a smile.

"What is the prognosis on Enjolras?" Éponine turned to the doctor, who gave her a wary look.

"As you're not family, I can't…"

"I was brought in with him, surely you can give me some kind of indication when he'll be awake." Éponine said harshly, and the doctor nodded curtly.

"I'll go and check his condition." The doctor stood, leaving Éponine's chart behind and exiting the room. Combeferre picked up the chart, flipping through it. He pulled out her x-ray, holding it up to the light.

"Jesus, Éponine, break your ribs much?" He said incredulously, looking from the x-ray to Éponine. She laughed, before gasping and grabbing her abdomen.

"Ah, don't make me laugh." She muttered, rubbing the bandages crossing her ribs. Combeferre looked at her sympathetically.

"Good thing you're dating Enjolras, he's not funny at all."

This only caused Éponine to laugh further, and she raised a hand, smacking Combeferre on the arm. He laughed as well, putting away her chart and resuming his seat next to her bed. At that moment, Grantaire re-entered the room, the doctor in tow.

"He's not awake yet," Grantaire said, sitting in the seat next to Combeferre. "Everything is stable, though."

"I'm going to be very frank with you, Ms. Thenardier." The doctor said, frowning. "He suffered some very serious injuries. He had internal bleeding in his abdomen, which we were, thankfully, able to stop. He had a major concussion when he arrived, and we had to be very careful administering anesthesia as to not aggravate it further. His body is recovering, as is his mind. He needs to rest, and we're not sure when he's going to be awake."

Éponine blinked, nodding vaguely at the doctor. She felt like she was on autopilot. She swallowed the lump in her throat, trying to hold back the tears that were threatening to fall.

"Thank you, could you please let us know if there's any change?" Combeferre said, noticing the look on Éponine's face. The doctor left, and Grantaire got up, closing the door. At the sound of the click, Éponine burst into tears.

"Éponine, no, don't cry…" Grantaire said, his eyes widening in panic. He never imagined he would see the tough Éponine Thenardier cry.

"It's just… it's all my fault that he's hurt!" Éponine blubbered, tears streaming down her face. She looked at Combeferre and Grantaire, as if daring them to correct her.

"It's not your fault, Éponine, it's Montparnasse's fault." Combeferre said, trying to be logical. Éponine cried even harder.

"Montparnasse wouldn't have even been around Enjolras if it wasn't for me!" She wailed, covering her face with her hands. "And now he's in critical condition in the hospital!"

"I can promise you that Enjolras is not going to blame you at all." Combeferre said. "His main concern was you, and you're going to be okay, and that's all that Enjolras cares about. Plus…Montparnasse is in prison now, Éponine. He's never going to come after either one of you ever again."

"Oh my god!" Éponine said suddenly, the tears momentarily stopping. She bolted up, ignoring the sting in her ribs. "They know! The police know about the hacks!"

"What hacks?" Grantaire asked, a confused expression coming over his face.

"Not our hacks? Into the President's email?" Combeferre asked, his eyes wide. Éponine nodded.

"Montparnasse told me… It sounds like the Patron-Minette is working with the police. They hacked into Marius's computer…they must have, otherwise Montparnasse wouldn't have known about something that I said one night at Enjolras's apartment…" She trailed off, not wanting to reveal her pregnancy scare.

"Grantaire, call Marius. Tell him to take his hard drive out of his computer. We don't want them to get anything more than they already have."

"Got it," Grantaire said, standing and taking his phone out of his pocket. He opened the door, moving to the hallway to make the call.

Combeferre turned back to Éponine. "Did he say anything else?"

Éponine shook her head. "No… he just said that the police know about the hacks, and about the ABC Society."

"This is dangerous." Combeferre muttered. "What we did was very, very illegal."

"And if the Patron-Minette is working with the police, I doubt that Montparnasse will be staying in jail for too long." Éponine said, her mouth set in a hard line. "It's not safe for Enjolras."

"Or you," Combeferre pointed out. Éponine waved him off.

"I can take care of myself. It's Enjolras that I'm worried about. He didn't sign up for this."

"Don't you dare," Combeferre said suddenly, noticing the look on her face. "Please tell me you're not considering it."

"It would be much safer for him if he wasn't with me." Éponine said dully, picking at a thread in the hospital sheets. Combeferre reached forward and gripped her arm.

"I can tell you that Enjolras isn't going to accept that." He said warningly. "He really cares about you a lot."

"We haven't been together that long," Éponine said, trying to sound nonchalant. "If I walked away, he'd forget about me soon enough."

"You know Enjolras. That would never happen."

Éponine knew he was right, but chose to shrug instead of respond. Enjolras was a caring man, and an intense one at that. If she tried to leave to keep him safe, she knew he would have none of it.

"You know I'm right." Combeferre said gently. "And I know that as much as you think it would be much safer for Enjolras if he was away from you, that you're not going to leave him. You care a lot for him too, I can see it."

"Of course I do." Éponine said harshly. "I care way more for him than I would like to admit. That's why it would be better if I left him. Take the complication out of his life."

"You're not a complication."

"He's in the hospital, for Christ's sake! He wouldn't be unconscious next door if it wasn't for me, Combeferre, and don't act like I'm not right."

"Fine, Éponine. But don't leave him. Please." Combeferre implored, his eyes wide. "Enjolras has been my best friend for a long time, and I've never seen him so content as he has been since he met you. Don't take that away."

"I'm not going to." Éponine mumbled, and Combeferre visibly relaxed. "I'm just saying it would be better if he had a non-complicated relationship."

"Well, Éponine, he wants you." Combeferre said, shrugging. "Guess you're going to have to live with that."

Éponine rolled her eyes, smiling crookedly at Combeferre. "I guess so." She turned, looking at the machines she was hooked up to. "Are these mobile?"

"You're not going anywhere…" Combeferre said, trailing off in confusion. She had just woken up, after all.

"I have to see him." Éponine said, bringing her left knee – the right was in a cast - to her chest. "Look, I can move, I'm fine."

"You can bend one knee, Éponine, that doesn't mean you can, or should get up and walk around."

"I can't sit here and talk about Enjolras anymore." She said, reaching over to grab the pole holding her IV. "Look, it's on wheels!" She said, rolling the stand toward her. "If they didn't want me to get up and walk around, why would it be on wheels?"

Combeferre rolled his eyes, and stood up. "If you're going to go next door, at least let me help you."

Éponine supported herself on her arms, trying not to add stress to her ribs and abdomen. She swung her good leg slowly over the side of the bed, using her hands to situate her cast-clad leg. She gripped Combeferre's forearms, standing on shaky legs. She put the majority of her weight on her left side, keeping it off her injured knee. Combeferre came around Éponine's right side, and acting as a human crutch, led her slowly to the door.

The door was still open from Grantaire's departure, and the pair shuffled to the hallway. Éponine's leg and ribs were screaming in agony, but she was determined to see Enjolras; she had to have tangible confirmation that he was breathing.

Grantaire was still in the hallway on the phone. He had a concerned look on his face, and was rubbing his eyes. Combeferre shot him a questioning look, which Grantaire waved off.

The walk to Enjolras's room seemed to take an eternity, and Éponine was relieved when they finally made it through the door. Combeferre set her down gently in the chair next to Courfeyrac, adjacent to Enjolras's bed. She was finally able to get a good look at him.

She would not cry for her own injuries, but looking at Enjolras's brought a lump to her throat. She tried to swallow it down as her eyes scanned his body. His face was bruised, his nose holding a tube carrying oxygen to his lungs. He was shirtless, with bandages stretching across his chest and around his back. His arm was set in a cast that ran to his elbow. In all her years around the Patron-Minette, Éponine could not remember ever seeing someone look so _broken. _

A sob unwillingly escaped Éponine's mouth, and Combeferre put a hand on her shoulder, rubbing small circles into her skin. She leaned against his side, her eyes never leaving Enjolras's face. Even with the bruises, he was still handsome. It was still _him._

"I've honestly never seen him look so relaxed." Combeferre remarked. It was true; even when Enjolras slept, his brow was creased with worry. Under the affect of the sedative, his face was calm and serene.

"I'll take him tense and conscious." Éponine said thickly, reaching to wrap her fingers around Enjolras's. She squeezed, willing him to respond. He didn't.

"I would too, Éponine." Combeferre said quietly. "But you know he's strong, right? He'll be okay."

"I need him." Éponine said pathetically. "I didn't want to admit it, but I do. Now that I've had him, I have to keep him."

"He needs you too," Combeferre said, squeezing Éponine's shoulder. "He'll be awake soon, don't worry."

"Uh, guys?" Grantaire's voice floated into the room. He pushed the door open, still holding his phone in his hand. "We have a bit of an issue."

"What is it?" Courfeyrac asked. Both he and Combeferre turned away from Enjolras to regard Grantaire. Éponine continued to stare at her boyfriend, though she inclined her head to listen.

"I tried to call Marius a few times, and then I called Cosette. Neither one of them picked up. So I called Joly, since he lives down the street. He walked over to their apartment and said no one was there. The neighbors came out and said that Marius had been taken by police a few hours ago. So I went on google news, and…" Grantaire trailed off, handing his phone to Combeferre with shaking fingers.

Combeferre took the phone silently. Éponine twisted around, taking her eyes off of Enjolras to regard Combeferre. He took a deep breath, bringing the phone toward him to read the small screen. In bold letters at the top of CNN's website was breaking news.

"**Criminal Hacker Arrested in Paris"**

Combeferre's eyes widened, panic seeping into his body. He scanned the article, becoming more nervous with each sentence. "In connection with the ABC Society…" he read aloud, eliciting a sharp gasp from Éponine. "…a warrant for the arrest of Benjamin Enjolras."

The four friends all looked to the bed, where the aforementioned man was laying, unconscious. Éponine took a deep breath.

"We are fucked."

* * *

**LOL try not to hate me too much! Let me know what you guys think, and THANK YOU for reading! I'll be back in a couple days with another one! xoxo Brittany **


	16. Chapter 16: The Prison

**Hi guys! Sorry this took a little longer than usual – I actually got around to updating my Harry Potter fanfic for the first time in… months. I've been pretty busy and had one of my friends from school stay over one night, so I haven't had a lot of time! I also wanted to be careful with this chapter… it's a big turning point and I want to make sure I do it how I want to! **

**Chapter 16: The Prison **

* * *

"Where is Éponine?"

Dr. Ramsay glanced over at the man lying on the bed. His voice was scratchy, and his eyes were still closed. The heart monitor began beeping as his heart rate rose, and a nurse entered the room, rushing to the young man's side.

"Sir, could you…" She said to Dr. Ramsay, trailing off uncertainly. Dr. Ramsay gave a quick nod before standing up and leaving the room. He walked into the hallway, hastily pulling his phone from his pocket.

After pressing the contact he wished to call, he leaned backwards against the wall, sighing quietly. This was not a place he enjoyed. The prison hospital of Paris (it had a long, winding name) was situated next to the prison itself, and was mostly for the care of criminals who had been injured during their arrests.

Three days prior, Dr. Ramsay had gotten a phone call from someone who called himself Courfeyrac (again, Dr. Ramsay had to wonder why all these young boys insisted on being called by their surnames). He was frantic, and spurting nonsense about a student arrest, and a warrant for Enjolras. Dr. Ramsay had wasted no time in getting to the hospital, where he found Enjolras in the process of being transported to the prison hospital. Despite his unconscious state, his rights were still read to him.

In the corner of the room was a girl, who was screaming and crying. She looked as though she had been through hell and back; she had bandages around her torso, and her knee was in a cast. She was covered in bruises and lacerations, but her eyes were ablaze in anger. Dr. Ramsay would never forget the look she gave him, or the fierce words she spoke: "You bring him back to me." He would later learn that the girl's name was Éponine, and that she was Enjolras's girlfriend. There had been an altercation that night with her ex boyfriend, and that was the reason Enjolras was in the hospital.

Dr. Ramsay pushed himself off the wall in the prison hospital, sighing at the memory. The phone was still ringing in his ear as he waited for someone to answer.

"Hello? Dr. Ramsay? Is he awake?"

After he had seen Enjolras in the hospital, Dr. Ramsay had been quickly taken to the police station, where another young man, Marius Pontmercy, was waiting to make bail. He needed a lawyer as well; he was being indicted for the same crimes as Enjolras.

At the police station, Dr. Ramsay met Marius's girlfriend, Cosette. She, just like Éponine, was all wild eyes and harsh words. She begged him to take Marius's case, which he did without hesitation. Benjamin Enjolras was his favorite student, and he certainly didn't want him, or any of his friends, to be arrested.

Cosette had explained the situation behind closed doors. The boys ran a secret organization in the café where Dr. Ramsay had dined only weeks before. Among their causes was investigation into the government, and they had illegally hacked into the President's email. Unfortunately, these hacks had been discovered, and the IP address had been traced back to Marius. The police had looked into his ties, and had come upon the ABC Society, of which Enjolras was the leader.

At this point, Dr. Ramsay had been floored. Enjolras had always been a quiet, thoughtful student. Dr. Ramsay had never expected this to happen, not to his favorite student. The more he thought about it though, the more it made sense. Enjolras was very vocal when it came to controversial issues. And that day in the café…when they had their conversation about Enjolras's project, he had told Dr. Ramsay that his main concern was that of France herself. It all pieced itself together in Dr. Ramsay's mind as Cosette told him the backstory of the ABC Society.

"There's one more thing…" Cosette said, biting her lip as she trailed off. "I don't know if it's something I can say yet."

"You have to trust me," Dr. Ramsay had said, putting away his notes. "I won't say anything as of yet, but if it's something that could help the boys get out of this situation, I need to be aware."

Cosette took a deep breath. "I have to talk to Combeferre first." She said, and Dr. Ramsay was again left to wonder _why_ all these boys favored their surnames. After a hushed phone call, Cosette returned to the table.

"We talked. We decided we can't tell you exactly what we know yet…but I can tell you the gist of it." Dr. Ramsay motioned for her to continue. "From the hacks, we learned something. Something that's been covered up for many years. Something huge. We think it could be used as a bargaining chip. Enough of us know about it that if they didn't let Marius and Enjolras go, that we could tell the press. This isn't something the government is going to want out there."

Dr. Ramsay blinked. What on earth…

"We'll tell you in due time," Cosette said quickly, noting his expression. "We want to wait until Enjolras is awake."

* * *

"Yes, Cosette, Enjolras is awake." Dr. Ramsay said quietly into the phone. He looked around the prison hospital to ensure no one was around. "They're not very lenient around here, they're not going to give him long to rest before they bring him in for questioning. They've agreed to let Marius and Enjolras talk to me first – together – before they're sent in. We can talk about the bargain then."

"Okay," Cosette said slowly, trying to process. "How long until we know?" Marius had been in prison for nearly four days, and she desperately wanted to see him.

"I imagine they'll bring him in for questioning tonight." Dr. Ramsay said, rubbing his tired eyes. "Hopefully within the next day or so, we'll have an answer."

"Thank you," Cosette said gratefully. "Have you tried to call Éponine?"

"I have not, I figured I would call you first."

"I'll let her know, then." Cosette said, glancing over to her couch, where Éponine was sleeping. She was leaning on Grantaire, whose head was back, snores rumbling from his mouth. For three days, the boys and Éponine had all been staying at Cosette and Marius's apartment, waiting for news.

"Thank you, and if there's any updates, I will call."

With that, Dr. Ramsay hung up the phone. He glanced back at Enjolras's room, where the nurse had just left. He took a deep breath, bracing himself for the conversation he was about to have.

"Hello, Enjolras."

"Dr. Ramsay, what are you doing here? Where is Éponine?" Enjolras's eyes were open and alert. He was sitting up slightly, with fresh bandages stretched across his chest.

"Éponine is fine." Dr. Ramsay said, deciding to begin with the good news. "She left the hospital two days ago, with a fractured knee cap and a few broken ribs. She will be fine."

Enjolras let out a sigh of relief, surprised by the sting of tears that pierced his eyes. He was relieved to hear that she would be okay. "But what are you…" Enjolras trailed off, looking around the room.

"I'm going to be blunt with you, Enjolras." Dr. Ramsay began, twisting his fingers together nervously. "I'm here because I'll be representing you as your lawyer."

"My lawyer?" Enjolras asked blankly. Realization dawned on his face, and his eyes narrowed. "Is Montparnasse taking action against me and Éponine? It's all his fault, he broke into my apartment, he _raped _my girlfriend –"

"That's not why I'm here." Dr. Ramsay said, surprised by the sudden outburst of emotion from Enjolras. "I know about the ABC Society."

Enjolras stiffened, his mouth drawn into a tight line. "How… "

"You're currently in custody for the hacks into the President's email. This is the prison hospital."

Enjolras's eyes widened, his mouth dropping open in shock. "I'm in prison… what?" He said, gasping slightly.

"Your friend Marius has been in prison for nearly four days. He was arrested around the same time you were brought to the hospital."

Enjolras closed and opened his mouth several times before he could form words. "So we're…under arrest because the police know about the hacks?" He clarified, trying to understand.

"I'm afraid so."

Enjolras blinked, settling back against his pillows. "Well, fuck." He said bluntly, blowing air from his lungs. Dr. Ramsay stifled a small laugh at the profanity.

"We do, however, have a potential way out of this." Dr. Ramsay said slowly, getting up to close the door.

"What do you mean?" Enjolras asked, his head still spinning.

"I've spoken with Cosette and Combeferre several times." Dr. Ramsay said, and Enjolras felt a small pain in his chest at the mention of his friends. "It seems that you all know something about the government that could be used as…bargaining power."

"We do." Enjolras confirmed, an unwitting smile tugging the sides of his lips. "We were able to secure some information from emails we saw."

"Mr. Pontmercy is being escorted here now." Dr. Ramsay said, checking his phone. "They do not like to wait very long in these situations. They're going to want to talk to the two of you very soon, and the three of us need to get the story straight before you go in there."

On cue, a knock sounded at the door, and a police officer appeared. A handcuffed Marius Pontmercy was at his side, his face pale and his body shaking.

"Enjolras!" Marius said, his demeanor brightening considerably. He shuffled into the room, stopping next to the hospital bed.

"My client may be free during this discussion." Dr. Ramsay said disapprovingly. The police officer grunted, before pulling keys out of his belt and unlocking Marius's wrists. Marius rubbed them, sending a grateful look at Dr. Ramsay, before leaning forward and carefully hugging Enjolras.

"I'm glad you're awake." He said quietly, and Enjolras patted him awkwardly on the back.

The police officer left, and Dr. Ramsay turned expectantly to the pair. "I just spoke with Cosette." He said, to which Marius smiled.

"How is she?"

"She is good. All of your friends – Éponine included – are staying at your apartment for the time being. They're all waiting on news regarding the two of you."

"Éponine is okay, truly?" Enjolras asked again, his voice markedly quieter than Dr. Ramsay could ever remember.

"The last thing she said to me was to bring you back to her." Dr. Ramsay said firmly, reaching over to grip Enjolras's wrist. "And that's what I aim to do. Which brings me back to what we were discussing before." He turned to Marius, who looked confused. "I know there's something you all know about the government from your hacks that may be used as bargaining power."

Marius glanced at Enjolras, who nodded discreetly. "Okay." Marius said, exhaling slowly. "We hacked into emails. We found some information. It could definitely tear this country apart, if we're being blunt here."

"Mr. Pontmercy." Dr. Ramsay said, leaning forward. "If I'm to help the two of you, you have to tell me every detail."

* * *

"We'll be talking to Inspector Javert." Dr. Ramsay muttered, looking at his phone. Enjolras groaned, rubbing his forehead. It had only been four hours since he had woken up from his coma, and he was already being wheeled in a wheelchair down to the interrogation room. There, they would be meeting Marius again, to talk to the inspector about the hacks.

"I hate that guy." Enjolras said bluntly, earning a laugh from Dr. Ramsay.

"Everyone hates that guy."

"Dr. Ramsay, Mr. Enjolras, if you'll follow me. Mr. Pontmercy is already inside." An officer said, opening a door and ushering the pair inside.

Enjolras gulped, trying to slow his heart rate to normal. They had their story straight, it was going to be _fine._

Enjolras was wheeled next to Marius, who was handcuffed to the table. Enjolras was not; he was not considered much of a threat in his current state. Marius raised his eyebrows, nodding to his handcuffs.

"Because I'm such a violent person, you know, with all my geeky computer skills." He said quietly, to which Enjolras had to stifle a laugh. He was glad Marius was able to make jokes among all the nerves.

"Gentlemen." A deep voice said, and Inspector Javert came into view. Enjolras grit his teeth, trying not to show his obvious distaste for the head of police. This was the man that was responsible for so much oppression, and Enjolras hated him.

"Inspector Javert." Dr. Ramsay said, inclining his head as he shook the man's hand.

"Let's get down to business, shall we?" Javert said, opening a case file. "Let's see here, Marius Pontmercy and Benjamin Enjolras. Mr. Pontmercy is accused of hacking into government files and emails without permission, which is a breach of federal security. Mr. Enjolras, you are accused of conspiracy to overthrow the state in connection with the ABC Society, of which you are the leader, is that correct?" Enjolras said nothing.

"My clients will not be answering any questions." Dr. Ramsay said slowly, leaning forward. "We're here today to discuss something else, Inspector."

"By all means." Javert said, leaning back in his seat. Dr. Ramsay cleared his throat. He had been waiting for this moment.

"As you may or may not know, my client, Mr. Benjamin Enjolras, is romantically involved with Ms. Éponine Thenardier, the daughter of the leader of the Patron Minette. Ms. Thenardier has no current connection with the gang, however, and has employment and housing away from her family."

Both Enjolras and Marius looked at Dr. Ramsay in utter confusion; what on earth did this have to do with _anything?_

"Several weeks ago, Mr. Thenardier was arrested for gang related activities. You, however, did not keep him in prison. You let him go on a deal that if he found out who was responsible for the government hacks, that he could walk free, is this correct?" Javert said nothing.

"Later on that same day, another member of the Patron Minette, one Montparnasse, was informed of this deal, and sent off to investigate. This Montparnasse is the same man who is connected to thirteen unsolved homicides in Paris, if I'm not mistaken." Again, Javert said nothing.

"Fast forward to last week. You sat in this very building and hacked into Mr. Pontmercy's computer, which was sitting in Mr. Enjolras's apartment. You were all able to overhear the conversation in which Ms. Thenardier informed my client of her past relationship with Montparnasse. She said several things that incited Montparnasse to flee the scene in a jealous and angry rage, is this correct?"

"Now wait a minute…" Javert started, but Dr. Ramsay plowed on.

"A few nights ago, Montparnasse entered my clients home and attacked him and Ms. Thenardier. He had internal bleeding, several broken bones, and a concussion. He just woke up from a coma only hours ago. Ms. Thenardier had a fractured knee cap, several broken ribs, and had been _raped_ by this man that _you _were working with, is that correct Inspector Javert?"

"You overstep your boundaries, sir!" Javert said, standing from the table. He was shaking with rage.

"You overstep your authority." Dr. Ramsay said, standing as well. "Would you like Paris to know that you intentionally worked with the leader of an infamous gang?"

"If it is for the greater good, it has to be done. Our intention was to catch these criminals, and we did that." Dr. Ramsay said, pointing to Enjolras and Marius.

"And yet in doing so, you threatened the life of both my client, and his girlfriend."

"I did not know that Montparnasse would leave here like that." Javert said, sitting down again. "How was I to know he would later attack anyone?"

"But he was brought here several nights ago _after_ attacking the pair, and you let him go, didn't you?"

"You did what?" Enjolras shouted, to which Dr. Ramsay laid a hand on his arm. "You let him go? Éponine is out there, he's going to go after her again, he…" Enjolras trailed off at the warning look on Dr. Ramsay's face.

"You knew you had to work fast to find the hackers though, didn't you?" Dr. Ramsay said quietly. "Because you knew what they could find."

Javert's face turned white, and he cleared his throat. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Oh yes you do." Dr. Ramsay said, smirking. "You, the President and the Prime Minister have been conducting shady deals for _years_. France is practically broke. You weren't even that good of a police officer, you were just good with the stocks and bonds, and good at making fake deals look real. That's why you were promoted to Chief Inspector in Paris, because you got the President and Prime Minister what they wanted. And you didn't want some hackers to find out that information, so you sent a notorious gang leader after them, to save your own skin." Javert said nothing, just sat, shaking.

"Let me tell you, Inspector Javert, that the three of us are not the only ones who know about this." Dr. Ramsay said bluntly. "There are plenty of others who are just waiting to release it to the press. If you do not comply with what we want, we will let this information out to ever news outlet in the world. Everyone will know what's been happening here, _everyone_ will know that you helped plunge France into a depression, and every citizen of this city will know that their police inspector has done _nothing_ to keep them safe."

Dr. Ramsay finished his speech and sat back, crossing his arms across his chest. Enjolras was fighting to keep the grin off his face, though Marius was full out bouncing in his seat.

Javert looked around, beads of sweat running down his face. Finally, he spoke.

"What do you need me to do?"

* * *

**fucking dr. ramsay, though! **

**That ended up a bit longer than I imagined. I don't know a lot about the law, so I hope that all made sense for the most part. I really enjoyed writing that, even though there wasn't any Éponine really, I've been looking forward to writing the Javert showdown for awhile :D Let me know what you guys think! And I PROMISE the wait will be shorter for the next one! xoxo Brittany **


	17. Chapter 17: The Reunion

**Hello everyone! Bit of a filler, unfortunately. Loved everyone's responses to the last chapter "Dr. Ram-Sassy" from Fanpire101 actually made me choke on water. Glad you guys liked it! **

**ALSO! To the anon that asked for smut. It's coming. I swear. **

* * *

Chapter Seventeen: The Reunion

"But like…that was fucking awesome."

"Thank you, Mr. Pontmercy." Dr. Ramsay said tiredly, smiling at the young man next to him. Marius was practically skipping down the hallway, still rubbing his wrists where the handcuffs had cut his skin. His face, however, was radiant, his eyes shining with victory.

"He's right. That was, for lack of a better term, fucking awesome." Enjolras said bluntly, causing Marius to bark out a short laugh.

"You know, Enj, I think Éponine has been good for you. I've never heard you so flippant. Or profane, honestly."

"We've been through hell in back over the past few days, what's a few profanities along the way?" Enjolras said, shrugging. Dr. Ramsay was wheeling him down the hall, a bemused smirk on his face. Enjolras had certainly cemented himself as one of his favorite students…_ever. _

"How did you know all of that?" Marius questioned, slowing his gate to fall into step with Dr. Ramsay. Enjolras twisted his neck around to regard his professor.

"I'm a lawyer, Mr. Pontmercy, it's my job to know these things. Plus…I knew a few of the men on the force. I was able to find some information on Javert. The fact that you had already hacked into the government files didn't hurt either."

Marius shrugged, a proud smile stretching across his face. "It was nothing."

"But don't do it again, do you understand me? I can't get you off twice for the same crime using the same blackmail. You too, Enjolras. You both have to lie low for awhile."

Enjolras nodded, running a hand through his hair in slight frustration. He found it hard to "lie low" that was for sure. Before he could respond, two police officers approached the trio, each holding a Ziploc bag.

"We have to take him back to the main hospital." One said, pointing to Enjolras. "He can't be treated in this prison hospital any longer, since he's free to go."

Enjolras grinned, holding out his hand for the bag of his belongings that had been brought in with him. Marius took his as well, immediately pulling out his phone. He hit two buttons and held the device up to his ear, bouncing on his toes.

Enjolras followed suit, pulling his phone from the bag and turning it on. As soon as it came on he went to the contacts, scrolling until he found Grantaire's name. Éponine, he knew, was with Cosette and all the other Amis, and Enjolras desperately wanted to speak to her.

He could not explain the _nerves_ that invaded his stomach as he lifted the phone to his ear. He didn't need to be nervous anymore; after all, she had already agreed to date him. If he had gotten that far, then surely…

"Enjolras?" A breathless voice answered the phone, and Enjolras felt his body go limp with relief at the sound of Éponine's voice.

"Hello." He said with uncertainty, and she breathed a sigh of relief from the other end of the line.

"What's going on?" She asked, and he could tell she was moving to privacy; the sound of Cosette speaking with Marius was growing fainter.

"I'm out of prison."

"For good?"

"For good. It's quite the story, one I'd rather tell you in person…"

"Are you coming home?"

_Home. _Enjolras certainly wished he was.

"No," He said regretfully. "I have to go back to the hospital."

"The same one? The one we were in before?"

"Yes," Enjolras confirmed, suddenly aware of the pain he was in. The medicine from the prison hospital was beginning to wear off, and Enjolras could feel every bruise, break and laceration on his body.

"I can meet you there." Éponine said with finality, and Enjolras could hear her getting things together to leave Cosette's apartment.

"Love, aren't you injured?" Enjolras asked, wondering where on earth the endearment had come from. Éponine seemed to be wondering the same thing, for she took several seconds to respond.

"I'm fine." She said shortly. "I can move around fine, I just need a little bit of help. I'll bring Combeferre with me or something."

"Enjolras! Should we have everyone meet us at the hosp – oh are you on the phone with Éponine?" Marius interrupted himself, an apologetic expression gracing his features. Enjolras nodded.

"Have everyone meet us there. We owe them the story."

* * *

"I can't wait to hear what happened!"

"Will they even let us all in at once?"

"Not if you don't all be quiet, they won't."

"Are visiting hours over?"

"We could pretend to be volunteers."

"Volunteers aren't halfway to inebriation."

"Hey! I'm completely sober!"

"Well you're all a sight for sore eyes!" Marius called as his friends came into view. He scanned the group, his eyes finally settling on Cosette. He had only been in prison for four days, but when he saw her face, he realized he wouldn't have lasted much longer without seeing her.

Cosette hadn't been one for sentimentality in awhile; not since she and Marius had just begun dating. When she saw his face, however, it was like a blind man seeing the light of day for the first time. She pushed Courfeyrac out of the way and threw herself at Marius. He lifted her off the ground and into his arms, staggering into the wall from the force.

"I missed you." She cried, her voice muffled in his shoulder. He said nothing, just rapidly blinked the tears out of his eyes and slowly sunk to the floor, bringing her with him.

The ABC Society often made fun of the couple for their public displays of affection, but in that moment, they were all enraptured by the reunion. They had all spent days with Cosette as she spoke with Dr. Ramsay, pleading for Marius's release, and to see that wish realized was astounding.

In the excitement of the moment, Éponine had slipped away from the group and entered Enjolras's room unseen. She breathed a sigh of relief at the sight of him, looking less battered, and very much _free._ His eyes were closed, his chest rising and falling gently. Éponine staggered to his side, her cast-clad leg making it difficult to move too fast.

"Enjolras," she said loudly, her voice clouded with unshed tears. "Wake up."

"You know, the doctor told me I need to rest." Enjolras chastised, opening his eyes. A wry smirk graced his lips, and it took only one second for Éponine to reach down and tangle her mouth with his.

"Don't. Ever. Do. That. Again." Éponine said, punctuating each word with a kiss. Enjolras laughed, placing his good hand on the side of her face.

"What? Get my ass kicked by your ex-boyfriend, or end up in prison for conspiracy to overthrow the state?"

It was the wrong thing to say. Éponine sat back, her eyes moving to stare at her lap. Immediately, Enjolras's teasing manner was gone, and concern plagued his features.

"What's wrong?" He asked, reaching his hand across the bed railings to touch her leg. She flinched, biting her lip and mumbling something incoherent.

"Éponine, look at me." Enjolras said softly, and with hesitation, she obeyed, raising her eyes to meet his. "What's wrong?"

"I'm sorry." Éponine said quietly. "It's my fault that you're here."

"Is that what this is about?" Enjolras asked, his mouth hanging open in disbelief. "You think I blame you for this? It's got nothing to do with you, Éponine, this had to do with Montparnasse."

"Who you wouldn't _know_ if it wasn't for me."

"Not true at all." Enjolras countered. "We hacked into the government way before you and I met, and Montparnasse was part of your father's gang even before that. Mine and Montparnasse's paths would have crossed with or without you."

"Maybe, but not like this." Éponine said bitterly. "You could have _died_ Enjolras, I was so scared, I…" She trailed off, tears filling her eyes. Enjolras smiled gently, squeezing her leg.

"Éponine, you saved my life the other day. You took those bullets out of that gun. He was going to kill me, and you made it impossible. I owe my life to you, do you understand?"

"You don't owe me anything. You shouldn't have even been in that situation. If we had never met…"

"I'd be miserable." Enjolras said, cutting her off. His tone was final, and he reached to grip her hand in his. "I know this is a messed up situation, Éponine, and things would have been different had we never met. But you know what? If we had never met, I'd be far less…_content _than I am right now. And considering I'm in a hospital with multiple broken bones, _that_ is saying something."

"But still…"

"But nothing, Éponine. If being with you meant repeating what happened the other night with Montparnasse, I would do it."

"You can't mean that."

"I don't say things I don't mean."

Éponine's nostrils flared, and a ghost of a smile appeared on her lips. "You're pretty great, you know that?"

"You're not so bad yourself." Enjolras said, smiling up at her. "But I don't want to hear you blaming yourself again, okay?" Éponine nodded mutely, leaning down to brush her lips gently against his.

"Enjolras could tell this story way better than I could though!" The sound of Marius's voice came floating into the hospital room. With regret, Éponine pulled back, keeping her hand in Enjolras's. The door opened, and the entirety of the ABC Society tumbled into the room, taking up every available space to stand or sit.

"Good to see you, marble man!" Cosette teased, and Enjolras smirked, rolling his eyes at the nickname.

"It's good to see all of you." Enjolras said genuinely. Even though he had only been conscious for a few hours, he had missed his friends tremendously.

"When are you getting out of here?" Combeferre asked.

"Tomorrow afternoon, as long as everything checks out."

"So tell us!" Grantaire said loudly, leaning forward in his chair. "How on earth did you two get out of prison?"

Enjolras took a deep breath, reaching down to raise the angle of his bed to a sitting position. "Well…I woke up in the prison hospital…" Enjolras told the entire story, from meeting with Marius and Dr. Ramsay, to the "Javert Showdown" as Marius had begun to call it. The Amis gasped in all the right places, and everyone agreed that Dr. Ramsay was "fucking awesome", and that his takedown of Javert made him "the man".

"So our demands were pretty simple. Marius and I got to get out of prison completely free. These offenses will be wiped from our records. Javert had a counter argument; the police are allowed to keep tabs on us for one year. That could mean really anything – Marius's computer will be looked at, I'm sure, and they'll probably keep a record on my movements."

"So what does that mean for us?" Combeferre asked.

"We have to lie low for awhile." Enjolras said slowly. "The police could very easily arrest me, Marius, or any of you again based on the slightest indication of law breaking. We have to be careful."

"So all the hacking is done, then?" Courfeyrac asked, trying to keep the disappointment out of his voice.

"For now." Enjolras said, nodding in affirmation.

"What are we focusing on then, Chief?" Grantaire asked, earning a laugh from the other members of the ABC Society.

"Right now? I'd like to focus on getting out of this hospital." Enjolras said, laughing slightly. Éponine nodded in agreement. "Then…we'll have a meeting. Look at our options. Pick the _legal_ ones, and try to get organized from there. The ABC Society is nowhere near finished, gentlemen."

"And ladies." Cosette chimed in. Enjolras nodded, looking to Éponine.

"Yes, ladies." He said softly, squeezing her hand.

"God, you guys are disgusting." Joly said good-naturedly, rolling his eyes at the couple. Éponine and Enjolras said nothing.

"And that's our cue." Cosette said lowly, standing up to usher the men out of the room. With promises to visit Enjolras at his apartment the following evening, the ABC Society exited the hospital room, leaving the couple alone again.

"How are you really feeling, truly?" Enjolras asked, eyeing Éponine's cast. She shrugged.

"It's more annoying than painful," she said, flicking the plaster with her finger. "It's just hard to get around."

"I imagine we're going to be quite the invalids once we get home tomorrow." Enjolras mused, smiling at the thought. "It will be a struggle even to make breakfast."

"Well we _need_ breakfast." Éponine said, with mock horror. "It is, after all, _our meal." _

"I like that we have a meal." Enjolras said, and Éponine leaned down to lazily kiss him again.

"I like _you._" She said contentedly, happy to speak to him again after days without him.

"Well, that works out well. Because I like you, too."

* * *

**it all works. Because I like both of them. And I like all of you. And I hope you all liked that chapter (even though it was filler-ish). This story is winding down! Probably will be another…six chapters or so? It depends on where I decide to end it! As always, thank you all for your love and support! xoxo Brittany **


	18. Chapter 18: The Chair

**HELLO. Some sexual content coming right your way! Don't read this if you're not comfortable with that sort of thing… but let's face it. That's why half of you read fanfiction (don't worry…me too).**

**SIDE NOTE: I wrote this in my office. Please try to understand how AWKWARD it is to do that. **

**Chapter 18: The Chair **

* * *

"Ow! Dammit, Enjolras!"

"I'm _sorry_ Éponine, I can't really hold myself up!"

"Maybe you should have, I don't know, _stayed in the hospital when they told you to."_

"They told me I could leave!"

"They strongly advised you against it!"

Éponine glared at Enjolras, who was leaning against the side of the stairwell, clutching his side. It had been over ten minutes since Éponine had driven them back from the hospital (Enjolras had several heart attacks as he sat in the passenger seat of his own car). He had several broken ribs, and was still recovering from his surgery, so getting up the stairs was no easy feat.

In lieu of responding, Enjolras burst out laughing, tears springing to his eyes from both pain and humor. It had been a trying few days, and fighting over walking up the stairs was pale in comparison to getting out of prison.

"What are you laughing about?" Éponine asked, her tone frustrated. She was still injured, and wasn't strong enough as it was to practically carry Enjolras up the stairs to his apartment. Her heavy leg cast was making it even more difficult to maneuver.

"This…I just…this is too funny. We're so useless." Enjolras choked out. He was still laughing. Éponine cracked a smile; they did make a funny pair.

"Let's agree not to get our asses kicked simultaneously ever again." Éponine said firmly, looping her arm around Enjolras's back. He nodded in agreement, pushing himself gently off the wall to lean on her.

"Five more steps, we can do this." Enjolras said with renewed vigor, sucking in a shallow breath to avoid hurting his ribs further. Éponine shakily raised her cast-clad leg onto the next step, holding onto the banister to support herself. She strengthened her hold around Enjolras's torso, pulling the left half of his body up. He raised one foot, gripping the other banister with his right hand. Once steady on the left side, he leaned away from Éponine, putting his weight on the wall instead, to raise his right side.

They repeated this process four more times, before finally reaching the top of the stairs. Enjolras leaned against the wall, sweat pouring down his face, his breathing heavy. Éponine dug the apartment key out of her pocket, sticking it into the lock and pushing open the door. She looped her arm around Enjolras's torso again, and the pair shuffled into the apartment.

Once inside, Éponine gently let Enjolras fall into a chair in the den, before collapsing on the couch herself. She looked over at Enjolras, who was already staring at her with a crooked smile on his face.

"Did we just have our first fight?" He questioned, his breath still short. Éponine laughed, groaning when the sharp breath hit her injured ribs.

"I think we did." She said, smiling gently. "Are you hungry?"

"You don't have to – " Enjolras started, but Éponine cut him off.

"I know. But are you hungry?"

Enjolras nodded sheepishly. "Not for anything too much, though."

"You're getting cereal, we don't have any other options." Éponine said, pushing herself back up off the couch. "It's still breakfast though, so technically it counts." She left the den, and walked into the kitchen.

"Do we at least have Apple Jacks?" Enjolras called to her retreating back. He could hear her rummaging around in one of the cabinets.

"Four boxes!" She confirmed, hobbling back into the den holding two. "Why on earth do you need four boxes of Apple Jacks?"

"They're my favorite." Enjolras mumbled, a faint tinge of red appearing on his cheeks. Éponine laughed, placing the boxes on the side table and shuffling to stand in front of Enjolras. She leaned down, her hair falling on either side of her face.

"You're cute." She whispered, brushing her nose against his. He pulled back, a frown etched into his features.

"I like to think I'm quite manly, thank you very much." He said, pretending to be offended. She laughed, running a hand down the contours of his arm muscles.

"I think you are, too." She said, leaning in again to kiss him. He responded enthusiastically, reaching up to grip her hips. She rested her good knee on the side of the chair, her other forced straight by the cast. The position was uncomfortable.

"Mmm this is hard." Éponine mumbled against Enjolras's lips. Enjolras let out a short laugh.

"You're telling me." He said sarcastically, and Éponine's eyes glanced down. A blush bloomed across her face as she made the connection.

"Did you just make a sexual joke?" She asked, a grin fighting its way onto her face. Enjolras's shoulders fell, an annoyed look coming over his face.

"Why does everyone seem to think I'm incapable of being funny?" He asked with frustration, running a hand through his hair. Éponine laughed, leaning forward to kiss his cheek.

"You're usually quite serious, you know?" She said, smiling at the pout that was still on his face. She kissed his protruding lips, reaching her free hand forward to cup his face. She smiled, kissing his lips again, before moving to his jaw, and up to his ear. Éponine swirled her tongue around the edge of his earlobe, causing a shiver to run through his body. She grinned her herself; she was sure he wasn't pouting anymore.

"Éponine…" Enjolras groaned, his fingers flexing in his lap. She hummed, moving her lips to his neck, trailing a path to the hollow of his throat. She pulled back, her breath raising goose bumps on Enjolras's skin.

"Yes?" She asked, glancing up at his face. His jaw was clenched tightly. He cleared his throat.

"You're making this situation worse." He ground out, and she glanced down, almost gasping at the sight of Enjolras's pants pulled tight over his growing erection. Her eyes widened… she had thought about it, certainly, but was it really _that big? _

"Ah, yes, I'm sorry, let me make it better." She said, standing up with slight difficulty. She assessed the situation, noting that getting down on the floor with her leg in a cast would prove to be exceedingly difficult.

Her eyes fell on a chair, and she put two and two together in her mind. With conviction, she grabbed the side of the chair, pulling it over toward her, and placing it in front of Enjolras.

"What – " he started, but a look from Éponine silenced him. She sat in the chair, letting her cast-clad leg stretch out in front of her, her other leg bent and supporting the most of her weight. She put her hands on Enjolras's knees, looking at his questioning eyes.

"I want to take care of this." She said, glancing down at his obvious arousal. "But only if you want me to. I know we haven't been together that long, so if you're not comfortable, I complet – "

"No, do it." Enjolras said, cutting her off. She laughed in surprise at his eagerness; he was usually so collected. But then again, he _was _still a man.

"If you insist." Éponine laughed, reaching forward to tug at Enjolras's clothes. She was lucky; he was wearing athletic shorts for the trip back from the hospital, and there was only a little maneuvering required on his part to rid himself of the garment.

Underneath the shorts, Enjolras was clad only in boxers. Éponine glanced up at him. His face was slightly sweaty, and his eyes were wide. He looked nervous, but most of all, excited. Éponine looked back down, hesitating slightly before reaching to hook her fingers around the waistband of Enjolras's boxers. He wordlessly lifted his hips, allowing her to tug them off fully. She let them to fall to the floor, where they pooled around Enjolras's ankles.

Her eyes widened as she took in the sight of him. Éponine was not proud of her background; she had seen enough penises in her previous line of work to last several lifetimes. Looking at them in the past, however, had always made her feel…dirty, like what she was doing was wrong. She had never felt as though something sexual was…a positive experience. She always did things because she _had_ to, not because she _wanted _to.

As she stared at Enjolras, however, something inside of her changed. Not only was she proud of herself for having that effect on him, she felt… liberated. She felt sexier than she ever had. She _wanted_ to do this, _wanted_ to have this with him. Not only was the sexual act itself enticing, but the fact that she cared about the man attached to the member made it even better.

"If you don't want to…" Enjolras took Éponine's contemplation as hesitation. Éponine's eyes snapped up, to look at Enjolras fully.

"I've never wanted to do something more." She said, and without further hesitation she ducked down.

At the first feel of Éponine's lips against his head, Enjolras drew in a sharp breath, ignoring the stabbing pain in his ribs. He reached blindly forward, tangling a hand in Éponine's hair, his eyes closed, his neck arched back. It couldn't possibly get better than _that._

It did, though, and Enjolras felt slightly embarrassed at how quickly he felt himself climbing to his peak. He never had much time for self-indulgence, and the last time he had been with a woman before Éponine had been over a year before. He had not felt like this in a _long _time.

He felt Éponine take him all the way to the back of her throat, her mouth completely enveloping his shaft. His eyes rolled to the back of his head, his teeth grinding against each other. A moan unwittingly escaped his lips. The sound seemed to only entice Éponine further; her pace increased, her tongue tracing patterns on his head, before she leaned down to take the rest of him in her mouth again.

Enjolras couldn't take it much longer. His hips were thrusting of their own accord, his teeth gnashing on his lower lip, about to draw blood.

"Éponine, I, shit, fuck, I'm – "

Éponine raised a hand to communicate her understanding, ceasing Enjolras's gargled attempts at speech. He squeezed his eyes shut, holding his breath. He felt his head hit the back of Éponine's throat again, and he couldn't hold it back anymore; his ejaculate shot out in several short bursts. Éponine continued to hold him in her mouth, swallowing every few seconds, much to Enjolras's astonishment; he hadn't expected her to do _that._

When he was finished, she slowly pulled back, looking up at his face with an open expression. Her eyes darted to his left hand, which was resting on top of a tissue box. She laughed slightly, smiling cockily.

"You don't need a tissue."

His eyes widened at her forwardness, and she smirked, reaching down to pull his boxers back up his legs. He lifted his hips again, tugging them up with one hand.

"That was…you…" He stuttered, still at a loss for words.

"Glad you liked it."

"Liked it? I…you… As soon as I can, I'm returning the favor." Enjolras finally found his voice, his words bringing a flutter of anticipation to Éponine's stomach.

"Looking forward to it," she said lowly, pushing herself off of Enjolras's knees to stand again. "Now how about those Apple Jacks?"

* * *

**It's their first sexual encounter! wooHOO! Hope you guys enjoyed that :D There's probably about four or five chapters left in this story (cue sadness). Let me know what you guys think… and there is much more smut to come! xoxo Brittany **


	19. Chapter 19: The Test

**HI everyone! Sorry this took a little longer than usual…I FINALLY finished my internship (DRINKS ALL AROUND!) so I had to pack up my shit in Pittsburgh, drive to school in Jersey, fly home to Florida… ALL IN ONE WEEKEND. It was nuts. Anywho, I'm home, and ready to finish this story (cue sad violin music). Three more chapters after this and then The Law of Love is complete! **

**I've already begun a new E/E story (!) and it's another crime type drama (I have some sort of fascination with people holding guns to Enjolras's head…do with that what you will). Looking forward to starting it! Hope you guys enjoy this one! And THANK YOU for always sticking with me! **

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Chapter 19: The Test

Enjolras rolled over one Saturday morning to find Éponine already awake, staring at him. It had been three weeks since he had returned home from the hospital, and in those three weeks, their relationship had reached a new level.

The night after their Apple Jack dinner (even thinking about the events prior made Enjolras blush), Éponine had gone to bed in her own room. After a few minutes, however, she sighed and pushed the covers off of her body, wobbling her way to the door. She took a deep breath as she stood outside of Enjolras's door; she knew they were dating, but were they at _that_ level? Mentally shrugging, Éponine pushed the door open.

She found Enjolras nearly asleep, his body at awkward angles as he attempted to get comfortable with his injuries. Éponine stifled a laugh at the crooked placement of his arms, and her presence shook Enjolras awake. He blinked several times, a lazy smile gracing his face.

"Hello," he mumbled, his voice already masked with sleep. Éponine bit her lip, looking at the ground.

"Hello," she replied, refusing to meet his gaze.

"What can I – "

"Can I sleep in here?" Éponine blurted out, her eyes widening as they came to rest on Enjolras. Once he got past the initial surprise at her outburst, the smile on his face stretched wider.

"You don't have to ask, get in." He scooted over as best he could, allowing her room on the bed. She gingerly sat on the side, leaning over to take the boot off of her leg; the doctors had told her she could keep it off at night. Once she was rid of the contraption, she threw it to the floor, relishing in the _clunk_ it made when it hit the wood.

Éponine pulled her leg up to the bed, wincing slightly when the back of her knee hit the mattress. Enjolras watched her face contort in pain, and he lifted a hand to her back. Éponine stiffened, but began to relax as soon as Enjolras started rubbing circles into her skin.

"This is nice." He murmured, his eyelids heavy with sleep again. Éponine giggled lightly, pushing her body down the bed to snuggle under the covers.

"I'm sorry I can't be more romantic." Enjolras sighed, gesturing his injured body. Éponine smiled, leaning up to press a kiss to his lips.

"Being here with you is enough."

This pattern continued for days, before Enjolras ordered Combeferre and Courfeyrac to move Éponine's dresser into his room. He arranged everything she had accumulated in the past few weeks, effectively turning his room into their room. When she had returned home from work at the café, she had taken one look at the room and started crying. Enjolras was confused; did she not like it? Éponine blubbered through her tears that it was the nicest thing she had ever seen in her life, and Enjolras had never quite felt so proud of himself.

Over the next few weeks, Éponine fell into the deepest state of contentment she had ever experienced. She was regaining mobility in her knee, and she was sporting a shorter and more mobile boot on her leg. Enjolras's ribs were healing a little each day, and he was almost able to move without wincing. The doctors said it would take weeks, maybe even months for his ribs to heal completely, but as Enjolras was in good health and already fit, they were mending much faster.

Each morning, Enjolras would rise before Éponine, gently extracting his arm from under her head. He always paused in the doorway, watching her chest rise and fall, a slight smile on her face. He always left their room grinning, a bounce in his step that had nothing to do with the coffee he was about to drink.

He thought he might possibly be in love.

The realization hit him two and a half weeks after he had left the hospital. She had been sitting reading a magazine, her nose crinkling every time she sniffed a perfume ad. Enjolras was reading a book for class, the last bit of homework he had before graduation. Éponine had found a pull out advertisement in the magazine, ripped it out, balled it up, and thrown it at Enjolras's head.

He had been so deep in thought that he hadn't noticed her intentions until the paper hit him directly on the temple, the surprise jarring him out of his concentration. He opened his mouth in surprise, his gaze shifting to her face, and that's when it hit him: he loved her.

He hadn't told her yet; he hadn't told anyone (though he had the distinct impression that Combeferre knew, and just was staying quiet). He wasn't sure how to broach the subject. They hadn't been together long, and _hell,_ he had never even had a girlfriend before. Was it just infatuation? Or was it real? Enjolras knew, deep down, that it _was_ real. They may not have a lot of time to brag about, but they had a lot of shared experiences over the past month and a half that had brought them closer. He had never felt so…._at home_ as he did when he was with her. It had to be real.

Every morning, Enjolras would have just finished pouring his coffee when Éponine would emerge from the bedroom, hair messy, and eyes clouded with sleep. He would greet her, and she would put her arms around his torso, leaning her head against his chest and breathing in his scent. He would hand her a cup of tea, and the pair would read the newspaper while breakfast cooked in the oven.

This was their routine, Monday through Sunday. That was why, on that particular Saturday, Enjolras was so surprised to find Éponine already awake when he opened his eyes.

"What's going on?" He asked, feeling the last bits of sleep drain away. It had been three weeks since he had been in prison, and since they had been in the hospital; he had been fooling himself into thinking there would be nothing more to worry about.

In lieu of responding, Éponine burst into tears. Enjolras's eyes widened, panic taking over him. He reached over pulling Éponine onto his chest, cradling her there. "Shh." He said soothingly, raking a hand through her hair. "It's going to be fine."

At least, that's what he assumed. As it was, he had no idea what was wrong.

After several minutes of crying, Éponine's sobs died down to whimpers, her shoulders still shaking against Enjolras's strong embrace. She lifted her head, tears still glistening on her eyelashes.

"I'm sorry." She said hoarsely. Enjolras shook his head.

"No need to be sorry." He murmured. He pushed the hair off of her face. "Do you want to tell me what's wrong?"

Éponine nodded slowly, pushing herself off of Enjolras to sit up. He copied her movements, situating himself against the headboard, watching her expectantly.

Éponine took a deep breath. "Okay…so you remember what happened when Montparnasse broke in here."

"Of course."

"You remember what happened when you found him in the guest room with me."

Enjolras stiffened. _That_ he remembered vividly.

"Yes." He said tightly, trying to force the image out of his head.

"Everything was so hectic with me in the hospital, and you hurt, and then you were in prison, and I left the hospital and went to Cosette's and I was just waiting for you to get out, and I just _forgot_ and –"

"Baby, slow down. What did you forget?"

"I'm sorry," Éponine said, her voice cracking. "The doctor came in to talk to me about my injuries and he told me I had a certain amount of time to take a pill to make sure I didn't get pregnant. I wanted…I wanted to talk to you about it. You weren't going to be conscious in time so I had to make a decision. But then the cops showed up and moved you, and everything was crazy, and I forgot to get the pill."

Enjolras's mind was racing. Was she saying…

"I could be pregnant." Éponine said dully, chewing on her bottom lip. Her eyes were filling with tears again.

"We'll go get a test and find out. When are you supposed to have your – " Enjolras let the word hang. He felt the color rise to his cheeks. If he could put his _face_ there (which he had, numerous times) couldn't he at least talk about her _period_?

"Yesterday."

Enjolras's heart dropped. _Shit. _

"You're not on the pill… we said that when we went to the hospital, right?" Enjolras still vividly recalled their trip to the emergency room when Éponine had thought she was having a miscarriage.

"Right…"

"So you could just be late." Enjolras said, trying to be helpful, despite the fact that his heart was about to beat out of his chest. Éponine stared at him for several seconds before responding.

"You're right." She said with finality, blowing air steadily from her lungs. "I guess I should get a test."

"_We _should go to the grocery store today and get one." Enjolras was sure to stress the fact that this was a joint venture, not something Éponine had to take care of on her own. She smiled at him, her nose still red, but her eyes considerably brighter.

"Okay." She said, leaning forward to press a kiss to his lips. "Everything will be fine."

* * *

"So you just…pee on it." Enjolras said, his eyes scanning the back of the pregnancy test box. Éponine turned the test over in her hands, pulling the cap off gingerly and shrugging.

"I guess so." She sighed. "I've never had to take one before."

"Alright, well, now or never." Enjolras said, trying to keep his voice casual. In reality, he was panicking.

"Okay," Éponine said, glancing at the toilet. When she looked back up, Enjolras was still standing in front of her.

"Uh…are you going to…"

"Oh, right, I should leave, yes, okay." Enjolras said hurriedly, bumping into the sink in his haste to exit. Éponine stifled a laugh as he raised a hand in farewell, closing the door behind him. She took in a deep breath, pulling down her shorts and underwear in one motion. She plopped onto the toilet, holding the pregnancy test in front of her with shaking fingers. _This was it. _

She put the stick between her legs, angling it downward like the directions had said. She waited patiently, her heart thrumming as she waited to pee. It was taking _forever._

"Jesus Christ." She mumbled, rolling her eyes at herself.

After what seemed like forever (and what had only been twenty five seconds in reality) Éponine finally began to urinate, her muscles relaxing in relief as it ran over the pregnancy test. She held it for the required 10 seconds, raising it and placing it on the sink when she was done. Once she was finished using the bathroom, she pulled her clothes back up in one sweep, flushed the toilet, and reached for the soap. While she was washing her hands, there was a tentative knock at the door.

"Come in." She answered, and Enjolras hesitantly shuffled back into the bathroom. He glanced at the test sitting on the sink, looking down at the box to read the directions again.

"It says five to seven minutes."

"Guess we wait." Éponine said, shaking her wet hands and reaching for a towel. She was about to turn to sit on the toilet lid when Enjolras grabbed her arm.

"I need you to know that whatever that test says changes _nothing_ with you and me, okay?"

Éponine reached her hands around his waist, pulling herself flush with his chest. "I know." She whispered, leaning up to kiss him quickly. He smiled against her lips.

"I mean it. If you're pregnant, it's fine. It's not going to change how I feel about you. It's going to mean that we're having a baby a little sooner than expected."

Éponine's mind was reeling. Sooner than expected? Did that mean…no, it couldn't possibly mean that someday…

"I'm glad we're in this together." Éponine said, choosing to avoid Enjolras's statement. He kissed her forehead, resting his chin on the top of her hair.

"I'm glad we are too."

The two stayed in that position for several minutes, both of their minds far away from the pregnancy test lying on the counter. Éponine could hardly believe what was happening; was he seriously considering being with her…_forever?_ Usually, the thought of _plans_ and the _future_ scared the living shit out of her, but with him…she could _see_ it. She could literally picture their life together. And the fact that he seemed to be able to as well…

"Éponine." Enjolras mumbled quietly, his voice lower than usual. "The test has a result."

Éponine buried her face in Enjolras's chest. "What does it say?" She asked, her voice muffled. She didn't want to look.

"I can't…see that far…"

Éponine rolled her eyes, shuffling herself blindly backwards and pulling Enjolras with her. Once she had taken a few steps, she asked again.

"Can you see it?"

"Yes."

"And?" Éponine asked, her heart hammering.

"You're not pregnant."

* * *

**PHEW. Everyone breathe the collective sigh of relief together. I had no intention of getting her pregnant – but that's two scares in one story (is this some kind of record?) Daddy Enj is adorable to me, but sorry kids, no baby! (…yet?) HEH. **

**Let me know what you guys thought about it, and if there's anything you want to see in the next few chaps before I wrap this story up! I have 2 major things to cover, and then an epilogue, but if anyone has any scenes/quick plots they want to see, let me know! **

**As always, THANK YOU and I LOVE YOU ALL. xoxo Brittany **


	20. Chapter 20: The Declaration

**Hey everyone! FINALLY THE SMUT HAS ARRIVED. RATED M FOR OBVIOUS REASONS. **

**But first…A few quick shout outs – **

**Les-tveiterables: I will miss this story SO MUCH when it's finished…but I'm UBER looking forward to the new one, so I hope you like it as much as this one! **

**ShipperBody: You always leave such lengthy reviews! I always have weird interactions with my parents/friends regarding fanfics but luckily at this point they've all just accepted it! And I'm glad you liked the love realization! It was one of my favorites to write… and GRANTAIRE COMING UP FOR YOU (a little, but STILL). **

**HermsP: thank you! Do not choke, PLEASE!**

** : YAY TO YOU TOO. Thanks for the review! **

**Frustratedstudent: I'm glad you thought it was cute **** and daddy enj is one of my favorite things…so you NEVER KNOW what will happen in an epilogue perhaps? **

**MagicalGirl85: HE MIGHT JUST DO THAT**

**Jess: "THE DINNER" the dinner that changed everything. And HA the test scene was supposed to be a little funny because of how AWK it is! Glad you liked it… and Jehan will make an appearance! (you like him? I had NO idea!) **

**AND NOW ONTO THE CHAPTER**

**Chapter 20: The Declaration **

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"Jesus Christ, that's quite the story." Cosette said, her eyes wide. She had been listening to Éponine describe "the pregnancy test situation" for nearly ten minutes, following the events with rapt attention. "But you're not pregnant, right? Like for sure?"

"I mean…the test said no. I guess I won't be 100% sure until I get my period."

"You still haven't gotten it? You're like…what? Three days late?"

"A little over two. But…I was worried about Enjolras, I was worried about forgetting to take that pill…there was a lot to think about and I probably just stressed myself out too much again and put it off."

"So, now that you're relaxed it should arrive."

"It should."

"Joy." Cosette deadpanned, earning a laugh from Éponine.

"Immense joy."

The two girls laughed together, Éponine rolling her eyes at the ridiculousness of it all. It was rare to consider the arrival of her period as a _blessing._

"Speaking of Enjolras." Cosette began conversationally. "How is the man?" She looked over Éponine's shoulder, where Enjolras was sitting with the other boys, their heads bent together, their voices quiet.

"The man is great." Éponine said, a blush creeping onto her cheeks. Cosette raised her eyebrows.

"Got something to tell me?"

"No." Éponine said, her tone completely unconvincing. Cosette's mouth dropped open.

"Did you do the do?" She asked quickly, leaning closer to Éponine across the table. The blush spread further across Éponine's face, and she cleared her throat.

"Maybe." She said quietly, to which Cosette let out a squeal.

"Spill. Details. Every single one."

* * *

"_So, not pregnant." Éponine confirmed, peering at the stick in Enjolras's hand. She breathed a sigh of relief, her body sagging against her boyfriend's arm, her eyes falling closed. _

"_Not pregnant, nothing to worry about." Enjolras murmured, lowering his head to press a kiss to Éponine's hair. She sighed again, this time in contentment, as she wound her arms around his waist. _

"_I hope you know that I meant what I said," Enjolras said suddenly, twisting his body to face Éponine. "Even if this said you were pregnant, nothing would have changed here."_

"_You mean it?" Éponine whispered, a watery smile making its way onto her face. Enjolras nodded vigorously. _

"_I mean it, 'Ponine. Nothing would have changed. We would still have breakfast, you would still live here, we would go to the café every night. I imagine you wouldn't drink with Grantaire." Enjolras mused, shrugging his shoulders lightly. "But other than that, everything would have been exactly the same." _

"_Except there would be a baby."_

"_Nothing we couldn't handle." _

"_You think?" _

"_I think…" Enjolras hesitated, biting his lip. "You're going to make fun of me for this." _

"_Why?" _

"_It's too corny." _

"_Well, go on." Éponine said, a grin splitting across her face. Enjolras took a deep breath._

"_I think that there's absolutely nothing that I can't handle, because I've got you here with me."_

_Éponine's mouth dropped open, the tears welling up in her eyes again. "That was…the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me." _

"_I mean it."_

"_And I feel the same way. My life was shit, and you know that. And now…now I feel like I could do anything. I actually…went and did something without talking to you…" _

"_What?" Enjolras asked, running his hands up and down Éponine's arms. _

"_I went over to the University and talked to a counselor about how I could apply to the social work program without a high school diploma. He said…he said if I was able to get a high enough score on the entrance exam that they would consider letting me in." _

"_Baby that's…that's fantastic!" Enjolras said, a huge smile adorning his face. "I'm so proud of you!"_

_Éponine grinned as well. "I'm excited." She admitted. "I always really enjoyed school, and I would have stayed in if I could have." _

"_Well, I think they'd be crazy not to take you in. They will love you." _

"_Oh yeah? And why do you think they'll love me?" Éponine teased, fishing for a compliment from her boyfriend; he seemed full of them that night._

_Enjolras scoffed sarcastically. "I do, and they will too." _

_Instantly, Éponine froze. Did he just… _

"_Shit." Enjolras said, his arms dropping from Éponine's sides as though he'd been burned. "Babe, I didn't mean to…that came out sooner than I…fuck…" _

"_You love me?" Éponine asked, her voice down to a whisper. Already caught, Enjolras nodded. _

"_I do. I wanted to have a nice dinner and tell you then. I wanted it to be romantic and perfect and I just – " _

"_Enjolras!" Éponine said loudly, silencing his ramblings. "I don't need romantic or perfect, I need you exactly how you are. I don't need fancy declarations to know that you love me. And all I need you to know in return is that I love you, too."_

"_You…you do?" Enjolras's eyes searched Éponine's face, as if he was waiting for her to retract her declaration. _

"_I do." Éponine confirmed. "The revolutionist, the softie, the injured whiner and the protective boyfriend. All of you…I love all of you." _

"_Well, I love every single bit of you as well." Enjolras said, stooping down to brush his lips against Éponine's. "But I'll have you know, I am _not_ a whiner." _

"_You were practically unbearable when we got back from the hospital. Though," Éponine said, pausing for effect. "I did figure out quite quickly how to shut you up." _

"_How…_oh." _Enjolras said, gulping slightly. He remembered her tactics quite well. "So, just say, if I started whining right now…" He trailed off, leaving the statement unfinished. _

"_I'd slap you and send you to bed." Éponine said matter of factly, sticking her tongue out at her boyfriend. _

"_Is that so?" Enjolras said, ducking his head again. He hovered above her shoulder, his lips centimeters away from her ear. "What if I'm not ready to sleep yet?" He whispered, sending shivers through her entire body. _

"_Uhm, well." Éponine said, stuttering slightly. _

"_And what if," Enjolras continued, pressing a kiss to Éponine's neck before returning to her ear. "What if I said I can think of a few ways we can deal with your stress?"_

"_I'd say you better fucking get to it, then." Éponine growled, turning her head to smash her lips onto Enjolras's. The teasing game gone, he pushed her against the sink, grinding his hips into hers with surprising force. Éponine was biting his lip so hard Enjolras could taste blood, but he was past the point of caring. _

"_Bed…" Éponine managed to ground out between harsh kisses, her nails digging into Enjolras's back. He pulled back, taking in her swollen lips and wild hair with satisfaction. _

"_Bed?" he asked, his tone confused. "I'm fine right here." Without another word, he picked Éponine up by the hips and placed her on the sink, pressing another kiss to her mouth while working on the button of her jeans. When the button had been undone and the zipper had been pulled down, Éponine raised her hips, allowing Enjolras to pull the jeans down her legs. He tossed them behind him, his fingers hooking around the side of Éponine's underwear. Anticipation crawled into Éponine's stomach; she knew what he was planning to do. _

_The first time Enjolras had gone down on her had been a couple days after "The Apple Jacks Night". He confessed to her that he had never done it, and was in need of some instruction. After about three pointers (including the pace she enjoyed, the angle she liked, and the right amount of finger accompaniment) Enjolras completely took control. He was a fast learner in all subjects, it seemed, and after only five minutes, Éponine was squirming under his touch, her breath coming in bursts, her voice calling out Enjolras's name. _

_The night in the bathroom was no exception. Once he had rid Éponine of her jeans, Enjolras took a deep breath, dropping to his knees. Éponine hooked her legs around his neck, her head already thrown back expectantly. Enjolras grinned at the sight of the outside of her panties; they were already soaked. A wave of pride washed over Enjolras as he dragged them down Éponine's legs; the thought that his actions had turned her on that much was the biggest confidence boost he could ask for. _

_Éponine, on the other hand, was growing impatient. Her toes were curling, her teeth gnashing together. What the hell was taking so long? She pushed her head off the wall, looking forward at Enjolras, who was still stationed between her legs, motionless. _

"_Are you going to fucki – " In the middle of the sentence, Enjolras surged forward, attaching his lips to her clit, his tongue flicking out of his mouth and working a trail upwards. Éponine cut off her own sentence with a moan, her head falling back against the wall again, her hand reaching blindly forward to tangle in Enjolras's hair. _

"_Jesus Christ, ah fuck, shit, you…I just…" Éponine stuttered, waves of pleasure coursing through her body with each ministration from Enjolras's tongue. He swirled in circles, his breath hot and heavy on her already sensitive skin. Her lower body shook as he put two fingers inside of her, moving them in and out in opposition of the movements of his tongue. _

_Éponine's eyes were squeezed shut, her breathing heavy and erratic. She had been on edge all evening, from the pregnancy test, to Enjolras's declaration of love, to the compromising situation they were now in. Her nerves were in a tight ball, and every flick of Enjolras's tongue brought her closer and closer to the edge. She could feel the shivers in her lower back, the bunching of muscles in her thighs, the rubber band of desire about to snap at any given moment. _

_With a particularly deep thrust of his fingers, Enjolras felt Éponine's walls tighten around him. Her entire body was twitching, her hand painfully tugging his hair. With a hard suck against her clit, and a crook of his fingers, he felt Éponine release, her entire body tensing, moans exiting her mouth along with several profanities. _

_After several seconds of writhing, Éponine stilled, a gust of breath exiting her mouth loudly. Enjolras looked up, smirking to himself at the sight of her. Her chest was heaving, her face was bright red, and her hair was disheveled. He stood, gently pulling her shaking legs away from his shoulder. He smiled at her, putting his hands on her thighs gingerly, relishing in the fact that she was still trembling at his touch. _

"_Hey." Enjolras said casually, leaning in to peck Éponine on the mouth. She smiled, her eyes still unfocused. _

"_Hey yourself." She said, running a hand down his arm. "Did I tell you earlier that I love you?" _

_Enjolras laughed. "Might have mentioned it." _

"_Well, you're in for a treat." Éponine said, gently pushing Enjolras away from her and hopping off the sink. She put her hands on his hips, tugging at belt. "Is the bathroom still okay for you?" She teased, undoing the clasp and pulling the end of the belt from the buckle. _

"_No," Enjolras said quietly, halting her movements. "I…I want to move to the bedroom."_

"_Okay," Éponine said, taking his hand and tugging him out of the bathroom and across the hall. She stopped in front of the bed, reaching her hand down to tug at his zipper, grasping the sides of his jeans. As she bent to pull them down, Enjolras gripped her elbows, halting her movements. _

"_What's wrong?" she asked, searching his face. He usually wore a look of anticipation before she went down on him, but in that moment he looked confused and unsure. _

"_I don't…I don't want you to…I…" he stuttered, avoiding looking at Éponine's face. She removed her hands from his hips, taking his hand in hers again and guiding him to the bed. He sat, pulling her down next to him. _

"_Talk to me." Éponine said soothingly, pushing a piece of hair away from Enjolras's face. He took a deep breath. _

"_I want…this is going to sound really stupid, because it should be easy and it's not a big deal, but it is with you and I don't want to screw it up." Enjolras said quickly, his words fast and strung together. "I want…I want to make love to you, Éponine. I don't want to have sex with you, or fuck you, I want it to matter."_

"_I want it to matter too." Éponine breathed, raising a hand to cup Enjolras's cheek. "I really, really do love you. You're…no one…I've never been with someone who made me feel like I mattered. Like they wanted to do it because it was me, specifically. I always felt like a faceless girl to them. And now…" _

"_Éponine, I wouldn't want to make love to anyone except for you." Enjolras said sincerely. Éponine smiled, cupping his cheek with her other hand. She leaned forward, kissing him slowly and deliberately. _

"_I want to make love to you, too." Éponine said against his lips. She laid back, pulling him with her, not breaking their kiss. Suddenly aware of her current state of undress, Éponine pulled back, her hands finding the bottom of Enjolras's shirt. She pulled it up and allowed him to shrug out of it, before tossing it to the side of the bed. _

_His pants were already undone, and it took little effort for Éponine to push them down his hips with her feet. Enjolras stood slightly, stepping out of his jeans. He leaned back down, his arm curling around Éponine's back. He placed one knee on the bed, smiling down at her as he lifted her body and moved her further up the mattress, allowing her head to rest on a pillow. He crawled back on top of her, trailing kisses up her neck before hovering over her mouth. _

"_Are you sure about this?" He questioned, his eyes searching hers. She lifted her head, pressing her lips to his. _

"_I am." She affirmed. "Are you?"_

"_Completely sure." _

"_Did you remember condoms?" Éponine questioned, her eyebrows raising. A crooked smile graced Enjolras's face. _

"_Of course I did." He said proudly, jerking his head at the side table. "I've had them for days."_

"_You're so smart." Éponine said sarcastically, and Enjolras shrugged. _

"_I'll even have a law degree next week to prove it." _

_Éponine laughed, raising her hands and placing them on Enjolras's shoulders. He leaned down to kiss her again, his lips lingering on hers. He pulled back a few seconds later, frowning. _

"_Why are you wearing a shirt?"_

_Éponine rolled her eyes, lifting her arms over her head. "Why don't you fix that, if it makes you so sad." She said. Enjolras stuck his tongue out at her, kissing her again quickly before grabbing the hem Éponine's tank top and tugging it over her head. He reached an arm around her back, unclipping her bra with one fluid motion and pulling it off her body. He tossed it to the floor with her tank top, raising himself up to look at Éponine's newly exposed flesh. _

"_I'll never get sick of this." He said decisively, and Éponine giggled, rolling her eyes at her boyfriend. He had told her his brief sexual history the previous week. He had a few flings to his name, and had lost his virginity when he was nineteen. His romantic pursuits had been few and far between, and though he was rusty, Éponine had complete confidence that he would impress her when the time came. He told her one night that she had the best body he had ever seen, and the first time he had seen her topless, he had stared for so long that Éponine had squirmed under his scrutinizing. Now, however, she relished in the attention._

"_I'm not going anywhere." Éponine promised, and Enjolras grinned, tearing his eyes away from her breasts long enough to kiss her lips. He moved from her mouth to her neck, trailing down to her already erect nipples. Again, he congratulated himself on the effect he had on her; she was already ready for him again. _

_He swirled his tongue around her left nipple, his fingers rolling the right. His left hand trailed down, coming to rest on her thigh, just close enough to make her groan with desire. He inched his hand up, feeling how wet she was already; the thought of it made his boxers stretch against his growing erection, sweat already dripping down his face. _

"_Enjolras, I need…" Éponine trailed off, her hips pushing against his hand of their own accord. _

"_Baby, what do you need?" Enjolras asked, surprised with his own self-control. His erection was becoming painful. _

"_You. I need you. I want you to…make love to me. Now." She said urgently, her hand reaching blindly toward the side table where she knew the condoms were kept. He nodded, rolling over to reach the drawer. He pulled it open, fumbled around for several seconds before finding an unopened box of twelve condoms. He pulled it open, fumbling to grab a single package. Once he had it, he rolled back to Éponine. She was sitting slightly, propping herself up on her elbows, waiting for him. She gave him a lazy kiss, before taking the package out of his hands. She sat up, pulling him with her. _

_He leaned against the headboard, his heart rate increasing as Éponine reached for his boxers. She pulled them down, finally freeing him from their confines. She ripped open the package with her teeth, pulling out the rolled condom and tossing the wrapper to the floor. _

_Slowly and deliberately, Éponine rolled the condom down Enolras's length, hearing his breath hitch when she got to the base. She laid back down carefully, placing a hand on his shoulder. He inched back down the bed, rolling so he was hovering over Éponine's body. _

"_I love you." He said quietly, kissing her sweetly. She smiled into the kiss, placing a hand on his cheek. _

"_I love you." She murmured. Enjolras took a deep breath, settling himself between Éponine's legs. He reached down, gripping the base of his shaft with one hand, guiding it into Éponine. She sucked in a breath as his head entered her, pushing past her entrance slowly. Once halfway in, Enjolras removed his hand, guiding himself the rest of the way with his hips, his eyes on Éponine's face. _

_Enjolras let out a breath when he felt himself hit the end of her, amazed at how full, at how absolutely encompassed he felt. He looked down, smiling when he saw Éponine's eyes fixed on him. He kissed her, moving his hips away from her body, and thrusting back in before he pulled out completely. He repeated the process, falling into an easy rhythm, which was matched by Éponine, her hips rising off the bed with him, creating such a fluid pattern that Enjolras could swear they had been doing it forever. _

_He only increased his pace a little, wanting to enjoy every thrust, and every slow descent into her. He relished the feeling, and knew they had ages – forever, hopefully – to discover each other, and to try new things. For now, he wanted to enjoy, and feel every second of her. _

_If he had his way, Enjolras would have done it for hours, but he was still a man, and even marble men have their limits. He felt himself climbing to his peak after ten minutes, desire building slowly with each movement. Sensing his imminent release, Éponine reached up a leg, hooking it over Enjolras's shoulder. The new angle allowed him to go even deeper, and his last few thrusts were marked with breathy moans from both of them. _

_A few moments later, Enjolras released, his ejaculate filling the condom, his movements continuing as he emptied himself. When he was finished, he collapsed on top of Éponine, his chest heaving, his muscles spent. Éponine ran her hands up and down his back, softly kneading the muscles there. _

"_That was…" Enjolras started, his voice muffled. _

"_Incredible." Éponine breathed, her body completely relaxed, the weight of Enjolras on top of her completely comfortable. The pair laid in silence for a few moments, before Enjolras rolled off. He sat up, taking off the condom slowly and tying it off, before throwing it in the trash. _

_After both Enjolras and Éponine had used the bathroom, they returned to the bed, both still naked and sweaty. They slipped back under the sheets, Enjolras on his back, with Éponine's head resting on his chest. _

"_I'm no expert, but I think that was pretty great." Enjolras said, a yawn escaping him. Éponine smiled, placing a kiss on his chest. _

"_I agree, it was great." She said. "And I'm of the opinion that we should do it often." _

"_That is something we definitely agree on." _

* * *

"Holy Shit." Cosette said, her eyes wide. Éponine had finally finished her story. "That's…wow. That was hot."

"You think so?" Éponine asked, covering her mouth to hide her smile. She knew it was hot, of course, but she wasn't sure if she could convey that to Cosette.

"Absolutely. Marius and I have recently revamped our sex life…you know once you're together for awhile you just fall into a routine but once he got out of prison we bought this book, and I'll just have to give it to you…"

"Maybe in a few months." Éponine said, trying to get the image of Cosette and Marius "trying new things" out of her head. "I think we're going to have fun exploring on our own for now."

"Do you think they're talking about it over there?" Cosette asked, smirking at the group of boys huddled in the corner.

Éponine shrugged. "Knowing them, they're probably trying to get every detail out of Enjolras."

* * *

"But what did you _do_ exactly?" Courfeyrac asked, looking at Enjolras expectantly.

"You've done it, you know how it goes!" Enjolras said, running a hand through his hair.

"We all know how it goes, mate, but you haven't done it in…well, I don't know how long it was before, but in any case, you're not one who goes around screwing random birds for the fun of it. So we want to know how it was." Grantaire said, taking a swig of his drink and raising his eyebrows at Enjolras.

"It was…it was good, you know? I had a good time. It was…good." Enjolras finished lamely. Marius scoffed from the back of the group.

"I'm sure 'Ponine is telling Cosette all the details right now, Enj, so I'll be getting everything later, and I'll tell everyone then."

"You wouldn't." Enjolras said, his voice low. Marius shrugged.

"Actually, I would."

"Just fucking tell us, will you?" Grantaire commanded, leaning back in his chair. "If you don't tell us, we're going to spike your drinks and wait til you're drunk, and then _make_ you tell us."

"Jesus Christ." Enjolras mumbled, aware of all the eyes on him. "Fine! I'll tell you."

Over the course of the next ten minutes, Enjolras told his friends everything, only sparing a few details. At the end of the story, everyone's mouths were hanging open.

"Jesus, Enj, didn't know you had it in you!"

"I've…had sex before." Enjolras said, suddenly uncomfortable.

"Yeah, sure, we knew that, but you've never…how did you put it? _Made love_ before."

"Well, I love her." Enjolras said, annoyed with all of the questions and comments.

"It's just so romantic Enjolras!" Jehan said, grinning from ear to ear.

"If you write a poem about this, Jehan, I swear to God…" Enjolras said, though to no avail; Jehan had already left the table and was rummaging around the bar to find a piece of paper and a pen.

"So what now?" Combeferre asked gently.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, you graduate next week, you're in love with Éponine, and you're going to be looking for a job. What happens now?"

Enjolras glanced up to where Éponine was sitting with Cosette. Her head was thrown back in laughter, her hands clutching a cup of tea. Enjolras had always thought he'd be alone, always married to the people, and to his country. He hadn't been looking for anyone, and she had come out of nowhere. She was everything Enjolras had ever wanted.

"We take it all on together."

* * *

**I could puke that ending was so cute. Only two chapters left! **

**I hope the sex was up to everyone's standards. I only had a little trouble writing it, but I wanted to make sure that it was good for their first time together. Let me know what you all think! xoxo Brittany **


	21. Chapter 21: The Graduate

**WELL you guys, this is it, the last real chapter of "The Law of Love" ! There will most definitely be an epilogue (the most perfect first line popped into my head today!). This was one of my favorites to write, because it ties the entire story together! I hope you guys enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it!**

* * *

Chapter 21: The Graduate

"Dr. Ramsay, I really don't understand why you would want _me_ to do this…" Enjolras said slowly, twisting his fingers nervously. He had no problem speaking in front of people whatsoever…it was just, he usually liked to have _something_ to talk about.

"Enjolras, you've been my favorite student since day one. You - we've - been through a lot over the past few weeks, and I think that if anyone could give an interesting graduation speech, it would be you."

"But sir…my project…"

"Your project did not go exactly as expected." Dr. Ramsay mused, before shrugging his shoulders. "That's okay, though. I still think you got more out of this experience than anyone."

"I'm not sure what you want me to say during this speech." Enjolras admitted, his mind reeling. He considered himself a pretty intelligent individual, but Dr. Ramsay's implications were going completely over his head.

"Just think of our first conversation regarding this project, and you'll figure it out." Dr. Ramsay said, standing from his seat. The pair was sharing a cup of coffee at the Musain; Cosette had promised the professor endless free drinks for getting Marius and Enjolras out of prison.

"And don't forget," Dr. Ramsay said, pushing his chair back into the table. "Graduation is two days away." With that, the professor left the café, waving to Cosette as he exited.

Enjolras sat in silence for several seconds, his mind racing. What on earth…

"Cosette!" Enjolras barked, waving his hand agitatedly toward the blonde. She looked up, rolling her eyes at his expression. Despite her exasperation, she put down her dishtowel and joined Enjolras at the table.

"Is this going to become a habit? Almost two months ago Dr. Ramsay left you alone at this table after he gave you your assignment, and you complained to me about it for awhile."

"First of all, I didn't complain." Enjolras said, holding up a finger. Cosette rolled her eyes toward the ceiling, before nodding at him to continue. "Second of all, I'm not sure if you heard that, but I have to give the graduation speech for my class. In TWO days!"

"Enjolras, you've put together speeches in twenty minutes before. You'll have no problem with this."

"I realize that public speaking is one of my strong points." Enjolras said slowly. "I just…remember my project? The soup kitchen?"

"How could I forget? It's how you met Gav, and Éponine, and how everything went down over the past month."

"Right, so, _oh._" Enjolras said, blinking rapidly. Cosette's expression of amusement quickly changed to confusion.

"What?" She asked, her eyebrows furrowed. Enjolras said nothing, just thought back to one of his first conversations with Dr. Ramsay regarding the project.

_"The exploration is one of human nature, something we don't explore too much of in law classes. You've noticed, I'm sure, that as you get further into your academic career, the more calculating and reserved the content becomes." _

And later, when he pressed Enjolras on his passions, before zeroing in on poverty.

_"You're wondering how this has anything to do with your degree? Well in short, it doesn't. But I think you'll find that you will get more out of this experience than you did in four years of school. We must not allow ourselves to be hardened by the law…we cannot forget that there are real people out there with real problems. The world is not a case, or a textbook, Enjolras. It is real, and it is hard, and there isn't a lot of good. I trust you'll get something valuable out of this."_

It had never been about poverty, or the soup kitchen; that fact was finally clear to Enjolras. It had always been about _him. _ He looked up to Cosette, his eyes shining with determination.

"I know what the speech has to be about."

* * *

"Was he nervous this morning? " Combeferre questioned, pulling Éponine out of her reverie. She looked up from the graduation program, where she had been trying to locate Enjolras's name in the order of events.

"He was…agitated." Éponine said, shrugging her shoulders. "You know him. He gets nervous and then it fades as soon as he gets going. He'll be okay."

"Is his speech good?" Courfeyrac asked, craning his head past Combeferre to regard Éponine. Her shoulders dropped, her arms crossing.

"He wouldn't let me hear it." She grumbled, pouting at their laughs. "It's not funny! I thought I was being helpful, you know, asking if he wanted to practice. He told me that I wasn't allowed to hear it before this morning."

"And why did Dr. Ramsay pick him to make the speech?" Grantaire asked, using his program to shield his eyes from the sun.

"Isn't he the valedictorian?" Marius asked, flipping to the front page of his program.

"He never told us…" Grantaire mumbled, sitting back in his seat. "I guess I should have assumed…"

"He didn't want to brag, he only told me a few days ago." Éponine said quietly, glancing down at her own program, where "Benjamin Enjolras" was highlighted at the top of the second page, with the shining words "Law School; Valedictorian" underneath.

"That's not the only reason!" Cosette said in a sing-song voice. All eyes turned to her.

"What do you mean?" Éponine asked slowly. Cosette blinked, her face turning red.

"Ah, his speech. Dr. Ramsay also wanted him to give the speech for another reason."

"And what reason was – " Éponine began, but was cut off by the swell of music from the school orchestra. The audience – including Enjolras's nearly 20 friends – stood, waiting for the graduates to enter.

Enjolras was the first to enter, between Dr. Ramsay and the dean of the Law School. He was decked in a dark blue gown and gold sash, signifying his academic achievements. Marius was in charge of photos, and he stood on his chair, snapping away to get as many as he could.

Once Enjolras was halfway to the stage, he caught sight of his friends, his face immediately reddening with embarrassment. Éponine laughed at the murderous look on his face, but Marius continued taking photos anyway, giggling as he finally stepped down from his chair and hit the preview button on the camera.

"Oh, he looks pissed." He said, still laughing. "These are getting blown up to poster size, and I'm hanging it up in our house." Cosette rolled her eyes, giving her approval anyway.

"That's our baby! Look at him, all grown up and smart!" Courfeyrac shouted, and Enjolras turned his head, his eyes blazing with anger. One look at Éponine's laughing face, however, and the glare on his face softened. He turned back around, rolling his shoulders, before following Dr. Ramsay up the stairs to the stage.

Once the graduates were all seated, the dean of the Law School stood, introducing himself and launching into a long winded speech of how far everyone had come, and how much they all had to look forward to. He droned for nearly a half hour, and Éponine glanced over to find Grantaire nearly asleep. She leaned across Cosette and Marius to smack him, startling him enough to wake up.

"One of our favorite professors, Dr. Ramsay, would like to say a few words." The dean finally handed the microphone over, and Dr. Ramsay took his place, grinning in the direction of Éponine, and the rest of Enjolras's friends.

"You're fucking awesome!" Marius shouted over the sound of the applause, causing Dr. Ramsay to burst into laughter, his chuckles lingering long after the applause stopped.

"Thank you, Mr. Pontmercy, always a pleasure." He remarked, and Marius responded with a thumbs up. Even Enjolras was grinning from his spot on the stage, his shoulders shaking with suppressed laughter.

"Thank you, everyone, for being here. I have to say, this is one of my favorite classes, and I'm very sad to see them all go." Dr. Ramsay began, turning to acknowledge the students before continuing. "This year's valedictorian is a young man by the name of Benjamin Enjolras, who, for reasons unknown, prefers only to be known by his surname."

All of the members of the ABC Society burst into laughter.

"This oddity aside, Mr. Enjolras had proved himself to be one of this University's brightest students. He did, however, seem to have some initial difficulty with one of our most important projects. You see, every year, I assign an assignment, an exploration, if you will. My expectation is for my students to choose a cause – it can be anything they wish, but it has to be charitable, and something that has no legal ties. I ask them, for six weeks, to study this, to immerse themselves in the experience. Something I find common with law students is the tendency to become hardened by the law, and the loss of humanity. This is something I seek to avoid for my students." Dr. Ramsay paused, turning again to regard Enjolras.

"Enjolras told me that his main concern was for the well-being of France. Yes, France, as in our entire country, ladies and gentlemen." There were a few laughs from the audience. "I asked him to narrow it down to poverty, but from that moment, I knew that this student was destined for something great. Little did I know, however, he was already involved in something bigger than himself." Dr. Ramsay paused again, raising an eyebrow at the ABC Society in the crowd. "But I think I should let him tell you about that himself." He stepped back, holding the microphone out to Enjolras, who stood from his seat and walked to center stage.

Éponine could hear every single one of her friends suck in a deep breath. This was it.

"That you, Dr. Ramsay, for the mostly positive introduction." Enjolras joked, eliciting a laugh from both the professor and the audience. "And yes, that was a joke." He directed the comment to Grantaire, who shrank in his seat.

"Dr. Ramsay was right when he said I was involved in something great. In fact, I still am. Some of you may possibly recognize my name, and may just not know where you read it. A few weeks ago, I was wanted for conspiracy against the state, as the head of the ABC Society."

Éponine could hear several intakes of breath in the audience; clearly, a few of them read the news enough to know exactly who was speaking.

"Now, it was all a big misunderstanding." Enjolras continued, glancing at Dr. Ramsay, who coughed to hide his laugh. "But the truth is, the ABC Society is something very real that me and my friends – " He paused and pointed to the row of his friends in the audience. " – have been involved in for years. We think of ourselves as a bit of a social group, concerned with a lot of the goings on of the country, and of the city of Paris."

"This thinking," Enjolras paused, seeming to collect his thoughts. "This thinking changed me. With the combined effect of my law classes, I started to become very cynical, and closed off to those around me. I had friends, sure, and they were very good to put up with me for so long. They called me "the marble man" and in a way, it was true. I was convinced that my only end in life was this country, and that no single person would be able to sway me."

Enjolras paused again. "In truth, it was Dr. Ramsay that made it possible for me to get out of that thinking. When he assigned the project two months ago, I was stunned. I had no idea how it had anything to do with our education. Not only that, but I was absolutely convinced that I didn't need to learn _anything_ about the people – after all, I led a _society_ regarding the people, why on earth would I need to go to a soup kitchen? Dr. Ramsay was convinced, though, that this was something I needed, and it was with trepidation and confusion that I entered that soup kitchen and began work as a volunteer."

"To be clear, my volunteer work was horrible. My boss had no concerns for the people, and one of my first goals as a lawyer is to address the issues that come with trying to 'apply' to the soup kitchen. After the first day, I was completely convinced that I had been right; no good was going to come out of this project."

"Dr. Ramsay could not have known that a young boy named Gavroche would stumble into the soup kitchen my first night, hoping for no workers to be present. He was trying to steal a piece of bread when I found him, and the two of us ended up sharing a meal. He told me of his life on the streets, and asked me if I would mind if he brought his sister with him the next night."

Éponine was shaking in her seat, her hands twisting the program in her lap. Combeferre noticed her anxiety and took her hand in his, squeezing it.

"She hadn't graduated high school because she had to support her family financially. She was in the process of finding a new job the night I met her. She shared a meal with Gavroche and I, cautious to give away too much information. She left an enigma behind, but to my luck, our paths crossed again that night. She had caught my attention, and for reasons unknown to myself, I invited her to live with me. We grew closer every day, and I realized something very quickly: I did _not_ know the people as much as I thought I did."

"There was something about this girl, something so inspiring and amazing to me. How cold, and how dark her life had been, and yet, she was not afraid. She was not afraid to try, to aspire to reach potential, to let people into her life, and to laugh at meaningless jokes. I had never felt so…taken with someone."

Éponine was silently crying, her hand still clutching Combeferre's. She forced herself to look up from her lap, and found that Enjolras was staring at her.

"I want no mistake. I did not save this girl. She is an independent, and wonderful woman. We went through a lot together in just a few weeks, and I realized that I loved her. I, who had once been called the man of marble, who had floated through life thinking that politics and social activism were all I needed. And she, who ran through her own life, unconscious of the fact that finding someone did not mean losing independence, but rather, sharing the burden with someone. We collided, and we saved each other."

"Dr. Ramsay could not have known that this would happen, but in the end, it fulfilled his project. I left the soup kitchen earlier than expected," Enjolras paused to laugh at the memory of punching John, before turning his focus back to Éponine. "But, the meaning, and purpose of Dr. Ramsay's experiment are drilled into my heart. I finally understand the people, and I also understand myself."

"The world is not a case, or a textbook, just as he told me. There are real people out there; real people with real problems. He also told me, however, that there isn't a lot of good in the world, and to that, I have to disagree. I went into a soup kitchen, one of the least happy places in this city, and I came out of it with someone who had made me the happiest man here. This assignment, Dr. Ramsay, has given me all the good I will ever need."

* * *

**There you have it, the last real chapter of this story! Expect the epilogue soon; I want to have it up by Saturday, because I fly back to college for my final semester on Sunday afternoon (cue excitement!) I loved everyone's responses to the smut scene last chapter (especially ShipperBody's sentiment that I have a dirty mind! …I do…) and several comments (especially Jess's!) regarding having to take a cold shower! HA. Let me know what you all thought of this chapter, and I will see you guys ONE MORE TIME in a few days! **

**With SO MUCH LOVE, Brittany **


	22. Epilogue: Ten Years Later

**Jesus Christ you guys…this is the end. This is IT. This is OUT OF CONTROL. I need to thank you all one more time for your reviews, and your follows, and your love… if it wasn't for you guys, I would have seriously lacked any motivation to get beyond chapter 1. I appreciate it IMMENSELY. A special shout out to Jess (SleepingwithinWater) who I love dearly… and there is a little message after this from the two of us to all of you!  
**

**I hope you guys enjoy this epilogue; I tried to wrap up loose ends/throw in flashbacks to cover other events. Again- thank you all, and enjoy! **

**Epilogue; 10 Years Later**

* * *

"Éponine Enjolras's office, how can I help you?"

It was a usual Tuesday in downtown Paris. Marie LeBlanc was sitting at her desk, answering phones as she did every day. Her boss was Éponine Enjolras, one of the most prestigious social workers in entire city. Éponine was only 29 years old, but she had rose in the ranks quickly.

"Hi Marie, it's Éponine's husband, could you put me through to her?"

Marie's face unwittingly split into a smile at the man's voice. Soon after she had been hired, Éponine had told her about how the two had met, and about their unconventional beginnings. Marie was obsessed with the Enjolras family, and the fact that Benjamin was so handsome was just a plus.

Éponine had also told her of her educational background, which to Marie, was so impressive. After her husband (then boyfriend) had graduated from college with a law degree, Éponine had taken the entrance exams without a high school degree. Marie was moved by the fact that Éponine had dropped out of high school to provide for her siblings financially. She had always wanted to go to school, though, and she studied for months (with Enjolras's help) for the entrance exams. Not only had she gotten a high enough score to get into the school, she had gotten one of the highest scores they had ever seen, and she was given a full scholarship.

She finished school in less than four years, her major in Social Work, and children as her concentration. Her specialty now was working with kids that were in the system because their parents were in jail; a situation that she herself had been in more than once.

"Hang on one second, I'll get her on the phone." Marie put him on hold, standing from her desk to knock of Éponine's office door. A muffled call of "come in" floated through the door, and Marie pushed it open. Éponine was seated at her desk, a half eaten bagel in one hand, and a stack of papers in the other.

"Hi Marie, what's up?"

Marie was lucky to have such a wonderful boss. Her last employer had been a bit of a tool, to be honest, and Éponine was anything but. "Your husband is on the phone."

Éponine nodded, putting down her papers to answer her phone. "Thank you, Marie." She said, picking up her phone. "Hi honey, how are you?"

Marie grinned to herself, before closing the door to Éponine's office. She could still hear Éponine as she left. "I'm quite pregnant, if you must know, I can barely reach my desk…"

Marie laughed to herself, before taking her seat again. Éponine was currently eight and a half month's pregnant with their second child. Their first was nearly six years old, a boy by the name of Henry. He was a rambunctious and exceedingly intelligent child, already spouting historical facts about Napoleon and Robespierre when asked.

"Marie!" Éponine called, and the secretary stood, pushing the office door open again. "You can go ahead and take lunch whenever, I'm going to call Enjolras back on my cell phone to keep the office phone open,"

"You're sure?"

"No problem, go ahead." Marie nodded her understanding, and closed the door behind her, grabbing her lunch and switching her phone off. In her office, Éponine stood, stretching her back as she pulled out her cell phone and dialed Enjolras on it.

"Hey, sorry about that, but it's almost 1 and she hadn't gone yet."

"Such a good boss." Enjolras teased, and Éponine laughed.

"You know, I try."

"So, I came up with the perfect baby name." Enjolras said proudly, and the smile promptly dropped off of Éponine's face. They were having a girl, and so far, his only suggestions had been adding the letter 'a' to various philosopher's names.

"I swear, Enj, if it's something ridiculous again…"

"It's not! I swear!"

"Well, what is it?"

"Violet?" He phrased it as a question.

Éponine paused, throwing the idea around in her head. "Violet Enjolras…" she murmured, a smile slowly making its way back onto her face. "I actually like it."

"You do?" Enjolras asked, surprised. She had hated every single one of his past ideas. Admittedly, Voltaira was not the _best_ name.

"I do." Éponine confirmed. "Good job."

"Well thanks," Enjolras laughed, rolling his eyes slightly. "Also…do you remember what today is?"

"This would be the day that you proposed to me," Éponine said immediately, glancing down at the diamond engagement ring that sat on her finger below her wedding band.

"I did a good job, didn't I?" Enjolras asked proudly, and Éponine laughed, remembering the day, eight years before.

* * *

"_What on earth are we doing?" Éponine asked, exasperated. "Enjolras, I have to study, I have an exam in a week…"_

"_Trust me, please?" Enjolras asked, pulling her down another side street. They had been wandering around Paris for nearly twenty minutes. _

_Éponine said nothing, just continued to follow him. "When are we going to get – " _

"_We're here." Enjolras said quietly, gesturing to the building behind him. Éponine looked up. They were at the soup kitchen. _

"_The soup kitchen." Éponine said, not following his train of thought. In the past few months, Enjolras had gotten the laws for the soup kitchens changed so that anyone could go in and eat, even children with no way to show a tax return. There was no minimum salary required, and John McCue had unceremoniously been fired for his actions against Éponine and countless other patrons. _

"_Yes, hang on." Enjolras dropped her hand, reaching into his pocket to pull out his phone. He sent a quick text, waiting several seconds before getting an answer. "Okay, we're ready." _

"_For what?" To say Éponine was confused would be an understatement. _

"_Come here." Enjolras said, pulling her down the side of the building to the back entrance. He stopped outside the door, putting both hands on her shoulders. "Okay, wait here. I'll tell you when to open the door." _

_Before she could respond, he had jogged away in the same direction that they had just come from. What on earth… _

_She waited for nearly five minutes, and considered leaving three times before she heard "Okay, come in!" come from inside the door. She rolled her eyes, and pushed the door open to find Enjolras. Wearing a hairnet. Down on one knee. _

"_Oh my God." She said quickly, the tears already jumping to her eyes. Now she understood._

"_Éponine, this is where we first met. You came in through that door with Gavroche, walking into this soup kitchen and into my life. I never would have dreamed that we would be where we are now, but I'm so glad that we are. Would you maybe want to marry me?" _

_Éponine choked out a laugh, the tears flowing down her cheeks. "Of course I will." She said thickly, allowing Enjolras to shakily slip the diamond ring onto her finger. She admired it, the diamonds catching the light as she turned her hand to the side. Enjolras stood up, his whole body shaking. _

"_I love you," he said, his voice gruff with emotion. She grinned through her tears, throwing her arms around his neck. _

"_I love you, too." She said against his neck. Enjolras let out a deep breath, one that he felt like he had been holding for weeks. _

"_Did you have any doubts that I would say yes?" Éponine asked, pulling back slightly to look into his eyes. _

"_Not really, but kind of? I don't know… I think even if we had talked about it before, I think I would have been nervous asking you. It's a big thing." _

"_It is, I just – " Éponine stopped, pausing to listen outside the kitchen door. _

"_Well Jesus Christ, get the hell out of my way – " _

"_You're not going to be able to hear anything if I can't, R, move – " _

"_I'm sure she said yes – "_

"_I don't know, she might have realized that she's too good for Enjolras – " _

_Éponine looked up at her boyfriend – fiancé, now – and raised an eyebrow. His face turned red, his eyes looking anywhere but Éponine. _

"_Ah, yes, that'll be our friends." _

"_Did everyone know?" _

"…_yes…"_

"_For how long?"_

"_I've had the ring for a month?" _

"_A month?" Éponine asked incredulously. She was shocked that their friends could keep a secret for so long. _

"_A month." Enjolras confirmed. "Though I've been looking for about six months for the perfect one." _

"_You've been thinking about this for six months?" _

"_Éponine, I've been thinking about this since we met." _

* * *

"And then you snuck up to the outside door and scared the shit out of everyone." Enjolras finished the story with a laugh. Éponine had thought it would be funny to play a trick on their friends; Courfeyrac had screamed, and Jehan had nearly wet himself. In the moment, everyone had forgotten about why they were there, until Cosette screamed, pointing at Éponine's finger. They celebrated that night by getting completely wasted.

"I made dinner reservations for us." Enjoras said lightly. "You know, to celebrate this anniversary."

"You didn't have to do that," Éponine said, touched by his thoughtfulness.

"Yes, I did. I already called Marius to see if they could take Henry for the night. Isabella is thrilled." Isabella was Marius and Cosette's five year old daughter, and the four parents had joked since her birth that the two of them were destined to marry.

"I'm sure she is. They can do their little five year old flirting routine."

"My little ladies man." Enjolras said proudly, and Éponine laughed, rolling her eyes.

"What time do we have to drop him off?"

"Cosette said to bring him over whenever."

"You'll be off work at five?"

"Yup. The reservation is at six."

"Okay, so I'll pick Henry off and meet you at the house. We can drop him off on our way to the restaurant" After their wedding, Enjolras and Éponine had bought a small house in a suburb of Paris. It was enough for them at the moment, but if they had more kids, they would have to purchase something larger.

"Sounds good. I'm meeting Dr. Ramsay for lunch, so I'll text you after." Enjolras was still friends with Dr. Ramsay, who was still teaching the same class at the Sorbonne after ten years. Every year, he still did his assignment, and every year he told the Enjolras family about the various projects the students had undertook.

"Tell him I said hello. I love you," Éponine said, rubbing her stomach and smiling.

"Love you more." Enjolras said decisively. "See you later,"

"Goodbye,"

The couple hung up, both smiling. Even after ten years, they still managed to make each other giddy and romantic, even with just a few words.

Across town, Enjoras put his phone away and shrugged off his suit jacket. He was headed over to the Musain, which was just a few blocks from his office, to meet Dr. Ramsay. The first time they had lunch after graduation, Enjolras had suggested a nice café in the middle of the city, to which Dr. Ramsay had rolled his eyes. He then led Enjolras to the café, and they had been going there ever since. Dr. Ramsay had cited tradition, but Enjolras suspected it was more the never-ending free coffee that waited for him there.

The walk was only five minutes, and Enjolras was soon pushing open the door to the café. Cosette was behind the counter, while Grantaire, Joly and Combeferre sat in a corner over coffee. Enjolras grinned; not much had changed.

"Marble man!"

Yes, nothing had changed. The ABC Society was still in existence, though their rallies and government hacking days were over. These days, their focus was on equal rights and extending education and scholarship to everyone, despite their backgrounds. They worked closely with social workers like Éponine, and professors, like Dr. Ramsay to try to spread their reach as far as possible. Over the past ten years, they had accomplished many things.

"Hello, R." Enjolras said, raising a hand. "Joly, Combeferre, how are you guys?"

"Wallowing." Joly said dramatically, pointing at Combeferre, who grumbled in response.

"What happened?" Enjolras asked, his brow furrowing in concern. He glanced around the café; Dr. Ramsay was not there yet, and so, he took a seat.

"You know how he was talking to that girl?" Grantaire said, rolling his eyes. "She, apparently, has found a new beau and can't talk to 'Ferre anymore."

"Hey, you know, other fish in the sea," Enjolras supplied. Combeferre looked at him in annoyance.

"Easy for you to say, you're married! You are no help."

At that moment, the café door opened, and a young woman walked in. Combeferre followed the sound, his mouth dropping open slightly at the sight. "She's…"

"Hello, Marie!" Enjolras said cheerfully to Éponine's secretary. She looked over, smiling when she saw him.

"Mr. Enjolras, hi!" She said, shrugging her bag back up her shoulder. "What brings you here?" Comberferre's mouth was hanging open.

"This is where me and Éponine spend most of our time." Enjolras said, arms spread to indicate the café.

"Oh! Is this the Musain, then?" Marie asked, looking around. Éponine had mentioned it in several of her stories.

"It is. These are my friends – Grantaire, Joly and Combeferre." Enjolras said, smirking as he pointed to his last friend. Combeferre's face flushed.

"Is it a requirement to go by your last name in your group of friends?" Marie asked. Enjolras opened his mouth to answer, but another voice cut him off.

"It's a question I've been asking myself for years." Dr. Ramsay had arrived.

"It's The Man." Grantaire said, reaching over to shake hands with the law professor. Dr. Ramsay smirked.

"It's been ten years." He reminded them.

"Ten years, and you getting Enj and Marius out of jail is still the highlight of my life." Grantaire said seriously, earning laughs from the group.

"Why don't we all eat together?" Combeferre asked, glancing sideways at Marie. Enjolras rolled his eyes, turning to regard Dr. Ramsay.

"Sure, why not?" Dr. Ramsay shrugged. "Same as usual?" He asked Enjolras, who nodded in return.

"I'll come with you." He said, following the professor to the counter. He looked back, mouthing a 'you're welcome' to Combeferre, who waved him off.

Once they had their food, they approached the table again, Cosette and Marius (who had just arrived through the back door) in tow.

"Any plans tonight?" Cosette asked lightly, casting a look at Enjolras.

"I'm taking Éponine out, Cosette, you don't need to remind me."

"Good boy." She said in response. There had been one year he had forgotten, and Cosette would never let him live it down.

"It's not your wedding anniversary." Dr. Ramsay said slowly. He would know; after all, he had revealed himself to be a certified officiator, and had married Éponine and Enjolras.

"It's our engagement anniversary." Enjolras said, to sounds of acknowledgement.

"Ugh, remember their wedding?" Cosette said wistfully, laying her head on her hands. "Have you ever seen something so romantic?"

"No, but I've also never been so frantic in my life." Combeferre said, and a blush spread across Enjolras's neck.

* * *

"_Uh guys? Has anyone seen Enjolras?" Courfeyrac asked nervously, his fingers twisting together. At the question, several heads looked up. _

"_Of all things, we lost the groom." Grantaire deadpanned. "We had one job and we failed." _

"_We didn't lose him, he's just…" Combeferre trailed off, biting his lip nervously. _

"_Missing." Marius supplied. _

"_Shit." Courfeyrac cursed, running a hand vigorously through his hair. "Éponine is going to kill us."_

"_I'm less worried about Éponine and more worried about Cosette." Joly said, a terrified look coming over his face. Cosette had been in charge of all the planning for the wedding from start to finish. If her plans couldn't go through because they had misplaced Enjolras, they would never live it down. _

"_Okay, let's think. When did we last see him?" _

"_I saw him 20 minutes ago right after he got dressed." _

"_Where could he have gone?" _

"_GUYS!" A voice sounded through the door, and several frantic knocks followed. Grantaire pulled open the door to reveal Cosette, who looked panicked. _

"_What's the matter?" Marius asked, immediately. Cosette threw her hands up. _

"_I've lost Éponine!" _

"_Well that's funny, because we've lost Enjolras." Grantaire said, shrugging. "Maybe they're already down the aisle getting married without us."_

"_Jesus Christ, there's twenty minutes until the wedding and we're missing both the bride AND the groom? We are terrible friends." Joly moaned, his hands over his face. _

"_We need to check everywhere." Cosette said decisively. "Once we know if they're here or not, we can decide what to do."_

_The group searched for nearly twenty minutes, and none of them found either Enjolras or Éponine. Frustrated, they all met again in the groom's dressing room. _

"_Nothing?"_

"_Nothing." _

"_I tried to call them like fifty times each." _

"_No answer when I called either, and I didn't hear any phones ringing." _

"_God dammit, we're going to have to go and tell everyone the wedding is off." _

"_At least there's not many guests…less people to tell…"_

"_Hey guys."_

"_Not now, Enj, we're trying to figure out what – wait, ENJOLRAS!" Marius said, surprise evident on his face. In the doorway stood Enjolras and Éponine, she in her wedding dress, and he in his tux. They were holding hands, pleased smiles on their faces. _

"_Sorry if you guys were freaking out, we just wanted to talk for a few minutes." Éponine apologized. There was a few seconds of silence before an onslaught of questions and demands echoed through the room. _

"_Freaking out? We were FRANTIC." _

"_We were ready to go and cancel the wedding!"_

"_Couldn't even answer your phones, you assholes…"_

"_What on earth was so important?" _

"_Guys!" Enjolras said loudly, holding his free hand up. The group fell silent. "We weren't trying to make you guys panic, we just wanted a few minutes to ourselves before the ceremony. There's been so much planning, and so many seating charts and food tastings and everything that we haven't had a lot of time to be together, you know?"_

"_So, you left us in a panic to go and have some couple time before tying the knot?" Cosette asked, the anger leaving her face. _

"_Yeah, pretty much." Éponine said, shrugging. _

"_That is so romantic." Jehan said in awe, his mouth open. There was a murmur of agreement through the group. _

"_Alright, I'm not mad anymore." Marius said, smiling crookedly. _

"_Me either." The group chorused, and Éponine's face split into a smile. _

"_Well, if no one is going to disappear again, particularly the bride or groom, I think it's about time, isn't it?" Combeferre asked, glancing at his watch. Éponine nodded, squeezing Enjolras's hand. _

"_I'm going to head back with Cosette, and I'll see you at the altar." She said quietly, leaning up to kiss Enjolras lightly. He smiled, brushing his fingers down her face. _

"_I'll see you down there." He agreed, and without another word, Éponine and Cosette left the room. _

"_Well, guys, I'm getting married." Enjolras mused, pushing a small curl off his forehead. He looked up, grinning at his friends, who all burst into laughter. _

"_Who knew that Enjolras would be the second of us to get married?" Marius mused, glancing at the wedding band on his own finger. Courfeyrac laughed, clapping a hand on Enjolras's back. _

"_No one, that's for sure."_

* * *

"It was a beautiful wedding." Dr. Ramsay agreed, after the laughter from the dressing room story had died down.

"Great reception too," Cosette said, smirking. She had planned most of it.

"I don't really remember the reception." Grantaire mused, squinting his eyes to remember. "Nah, got nothing past the cake cutting."

"You sang karaoke after Éponine and Enjolras left for bed." Combeferre reminded him, earning a laugh from everyone at the table, Marie included. His face flushed, causing Enjolras to roll his eyes.

"What did I sing?"

"Show tunes."

The group laughed, and Grantaire shrugged. "What can I say?" He asked, bringing his coffee to his lips. "I'm a natural talent."

"How's Éponine feeling?" Cosette questioned Enjolras. "I haven't talked to her today."

"When I asked her, she told me she was 'very pregnant'." Enjolras laughed. "But everything else is good. She's feeling better this time."

When Éponine was pregnant with Henry, she had constant stomach aches that made eating a miserable experience. Her back was sore every day, and her feet were so swollen she could barely walk in her last month. Enjolras was threatened with both divorce and castration on numerous occasions. It had been a rough nine months, but on April 13th when Henry was born, it was all worth it.

"No threats of chopping your balls off, then?" Grantaire asked, and the whole table laughed.

"No. Thank God."

"Remember when we walked into the delivery room when she was in labor? I've never heard so many curse words in my life." Marius laughed.

"She added 'fuck' to the middle of all of our names." Combeferre mused, smirking. "I was Combe-fuck-ferre for several hours."

"At least you got your name said. I was 'my fucking husband' the whole time." Enjolras deadpanned, and Dr. Ramsay started laughing so hard he choked on his food. Once he had righted himself, he chucked again, wiping tears from his eyes.

"This time will be fun. She can't drop too many profanities with Henry around." Cosette smirked. "And Isabella, for that matter. They're both probably going to be there."

"Hopefully Joly won't try to film the delivery again." Enjolras said, glaring at the man next to him. Joly's face flushed.

"I thought you'd want to remember it!"

"I remember it just fine without you trying to shove a video camera near my wife's – "

"I won't do it!" Joly said, holding his hands up in surrender. "I promise!"

A ding went off in Enjolras's pocket and he pulled his phone out, glancing down to read the message.

"Well fuck!" He said loudly, causing everyone to fall silent in the café. He raised an arm, apologizing, before turning back to his friends. "Speak of the devil, Éponine is in labor!"

Before anyone could respond, his phone started ringing. He answered it, holding it up to his ear. "Hi, honey, I'm on my way." He listened for several seconds, nodding. "Okay, will do. See you soon. I love you."

He put his phone away, turning to his friends. "Cosette, Marius, can you pick up Henry and Isabella and meet us at the hospital? Her water's already broken, so it shouldn't be very long." Cosette nodded, standing to get her keys and purse.

"I will call everyone else!" Marius announced, pulling his phone out of his pocket. He handed his keys to Enjolras, who took them questioningly. "Your car is at the office, right? Mine's parked outside. Go get Éponine." Enjolras nodded his thanks, clapped Dr. Ramsay on the back, and exited the café quickly.

He grinned to himself as he unlocked the car: in a few hours, he would be a father for the second time.

* * *

"Well, so much for dinner." Éponine grumbled. Enjolras laughed, pushing a piece of hair from her face. She was in the hospital bed, hooked up to several machines, while Enjolras sat in the chair to her side.

"Not a big deal." He said, smiling. Éponine was much more relaxed this time around; no one had been called any variation of the word 'fuck' so far.

"Don't let Joly in here again." Éponine said slowly, her eyes widening.

"I already told him he's not allowed to film anything." Enjolras assured her, and she relaxed against the pillows, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Can we hurry this along?" Éponine whined, looking around at the various machines. "The waiting part is the worst."

"Do you want me to get the doctor to check again?" Enjolras asked, running a hand down her arm. She shook her head.

"No, it's probably only a couple centimeters still."

"Well, Henry and Isabella will be here soon to keep you company." Enjolras reminded her. Éponine smiled at the thought of her son and "niece" (for all intents and purposes, all of the ABC Society were uncles and aunts to the two children).

"It looks like little Violet might be born on our anniversary." Éponine said, reaching over to grab Enjolras's hand. He leaned down, kissing her on the temple.

"It's a good day." He remarked. He opened his mouth to speak again, before the door opened. Marius walked in, his face breaking into a grin at the sight of Éponine and Enjolras.

"Hello, friends!" He said cheerfully. "You're looking lovely." He said to Éponine, who rolled her eyes.

"Why don't you just fu – "

"Mommy!"

"Henry!" Éponine's response to Marius died on her lips, her arms outstretched to catch her son, who was scrambling to reach the bed. Enjolras grabbed him under the elbows and lifted him to the mattress, where he curled into Éponine's side.

"Aunt Cosette says you're having my sister now." He acknowledged, putting a small hand on her stomach.

"I am. Are you excited?"

"Yes!" Henry said excitedly, before frowning. "She took a long time in there."

Marius snorted, covering his mouth with his hand.

"What's funny Uncle Marius?"

"Nothing, Henry." Marius said, waving a hand. Henry, with the attention span of a five year old, focused back on his mother.

"Will I have less toys now?" He asked seriously. The smiles dropped off of Enjolras and Éponine's faces.

"Honey, no, of course not. Our family is getting bigger, but we're not going to take your toys, or love you any less." Éponine said soothingly, running a hand through Henry's blonde hair. He nodded in understanding, and smiled a gap toothed grin.

"Uncle Marius?" He asked, turning away from his parents.

"Yes?"

"Where's Bella?"

"She's with your Aunt Cosette, they'll be back soon."

"Oh no." Henry said, burying his face in his hands. This time, it was Enjolras who snorted in laughter, before placing a hand on his son's arm.

"What's the matter buddy?"

"Daddy, I can't tell you." Henry said seriously. Éponine was biting her lip, trying not to burst into laughter.

"Well, why not?"

"I think…I think I love her, daddy. I think I want to marry her."

Éponine started coughing, trying to cover her giggles. Marius was doubled over, practically in tears. Enjolras, the lawyer, was the only one holding his poker face.

"Why do you think you love her?"

"I gave her a crayon and I didn't even feel sad, daddy. I wanted her to have it."

Éponine looked at Enjolras over her son's head, a small smirk on her face. He glanced at her, before turning back to Henry.

"Can I give you some advice?" He asked Henry, who shrugged.

"I dunno daddy, I think you only know about the law."

Enjolras laughed, looking up again to regard Éponine. She had one hand around their son, the other on her stomach. Her wedding ring flashed in the hospital light, her smile shining brightly at him. He thought of everything they had been through in ten years – all the tears, the frustrations, and the joy.

"Henry," Enjolras began, smiling at Éponine before looking down. "Let me tell you something about the law of love."

* * *

**One more time, thank you all so much from the bottom of my heart for your support. I love you guys!**

**AND if you like me (which I hope you do!) me and Jess hatched a little brainchild a couple months ago for a new fic, called "Guilt". I have JUST posted the introduction on my page. It is a e/e AGAIN (of course) but this one is a little different. I have a bit of a thing for crime stories (if you couldn't tell) but this one has even more twists and turns than the law of love did! If you guys want, you can check it out now! I'm expecting about 15 chapters in all, and don't worry, the intro is supposed to be vague and confusing. All will be revealed!**

**Love you all! xoxo Brittany **


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